Through Murky Waters
by penelope90
Summary: Pirate AU. Amateur writer. Rated for language, and maybe future stuff. I don't own Fairy Tail. Lucy ran away from home at a young age, finding a new home on the Fairy Tail Ship.
1. Chapter 1

"So... You think you want to be a pirate?" A strong, confident voice asked Lucy.

She stared at the back swiveling chair the voice was resonating from.

"I know I will be a pirate!" Lucy declared, slamming her tiny fist on the desk between herself and the person in the chair.

"Why? How?" The voice fiercely whispered.

"I... Have nothing.. There's nothing left for me here." Lucy felt herself losing her nerve, "My mother is dead. My father doesn't love me. And he's going to get rid of me soon, he'll sell me off for marriage in a few years, when I'm old enough." Lucy clenched her fists once again.

"I see..." The voice said in an ominous all-knowing tone. "Welcome to the crew, little girl. You have a lot of learning to do and muscle to build."

The chair turned and Lucy found herself staring into the eyes of a young girl who couldn't be much older than herself.

Lucy blanched for a moment, "Oh, thank you.. I am Lucy, at your service." She introduced herself.

"I am Mavis, co-captain of this ship, though I really just take care of counting money, making plans, and maintaining alliances. The other captain, Makarov has disembarked, but will be returning shortly."

As Lucy further inspected Mavis, she found that her face wasn't as young as Lucy originally thought, Mavis was just a very tiny, very cute middle aged woman.

"Oh, but you will need the tattoo." Mavis concluded as she stood up, her long white dress moving fluidly under her matching white and gold captain's jacket.

Lucy froze for a second before sighing, "yes, of course... Will it hurt?"

"Yes, but you can handle it. If not then you really aren't meant to be a pirate in the first place." Mavis shrugged as she led Lucy to the door of the captains cabin.

Lucy suddenly felt anxious about her upcoming tattoo session.

Throwing the door open Mavis grinned, "Most of the rest of the crew are gone right now but Erza's still here."

"Erza?" Lucy's confusion and fear were prominent on her face.

"She's our tattoo kid, you'll get along fine I'm sure, just don't cry during the tattoo, it will damage her pride." Mavis walked around a corner, down the stairs to the main deck, then opened another door which when down more stairs to what Lucy guessed were the sailors' quarters.

After making many confusing twists and turns, Mavis finally opened a wooden door for Lucy, letting her in first.

In the room, there were 2 hammocks, one on the left and one on the right, but it was obvious Erza was the only one living there, the room was almost empty save for the cots, some sheathed swords and knives in a pile under one of the cots, a wooden box, and a oil lantern that was hanging from a hook on the wall.

A red headed girl who looked a few years older than Lucy, looked up from the dagger she was polishing.

"Hello.." Lucy tried to be polite.

"Hello." Erza replied stoically.

"This is Lucy, she'll need a tattoo." Mavis explained why a random stranger had been led into Erza's room.

"Okay. Which tattoo?" Erza sheathed her knife and brought the wooden box to her lap.

"The fairy." Mavis said as she pushed Lucy forward then indicated she should take a seat on the floor.

"Alright." Erza looked at Lucy, "Where do you want it?"

"Um... Where do most people get them?" Lucy began to worry, she'd have the tattoo for the rest of her life, placement was very important.

"Usually their arms, mostly their biceps." Erza opened the box and pulled out a series of needles and an ink bottle.

"I'll get it on my right hand then..." Lucy decided, she thought it would be stylish, and convenient if anyone asked her to prove which crew she was a part of.

"Sounds good." Erza pulled an ink and blood stained handkerchief out of the box and prepared to tattoo Lucy.

"Done!" Erza chimed after what felt like forever.

Lucy looked up, eyes just a little glazed over, though she hadn't cried, which made her quite proud of herself.

"Thanks." Lucy sighed in relief as she retracted her hand from Erza's grasp gently, looking around the room.

Mavis was no longer in the door way, though Lucy supposed that made sense, she must've been getting tattooed for a while, time seemed to have slipped through her fingers as she'd been focusing on tuning out the pain radiating from her hand.

Lucy examined her new tattoo in the light of the lantern, it was a black fairy-esque shape, the skin surrounding it was a little swollen and bright red.

"What now?" Lucy asked Erza.

"I'm going to wrap it for you, it's going to be sore for a few days. Avoid getting it wet for a week, just in case." Erza grabbed Lucy's hand carefully and pulled a roll of gauze out of the box. "Also, keep it out of the sun for a while. And after I'm done i can take you to Wakaba, he's in charge of giving you the introduction and assigning you a room."

"Oh, okay." Lucy nodded, she was nervous to meet everyone else, she couldn't tell if this pirate crew was the type to be friendly to each other or if it was every man, woman, and child for themselves.

"You're just lucky that Mirajane already has a bunky." Erza said with a mildly amused look in her eyes, "She's a tyrant, i swear."

"Oh?" Lucy had already settled on a technique to help her get by, the less she said, the better.

Erza suddenly looked gleeful, like any other young girl, as the opportunity to gossip tempted her to drop her stoic façade, "Last week, Laxus- her boyfriend- tried to tell her what to do again, and of course she didn't like that at all." Erza leaned in closer, speaking as if anyone would walk in at any moment, "So she told him to 'cool his head'" Erza lifted her chin and looked down at Lucy condescendingly, in what Lucy assumed was a Mirajane impression, "And she threw him overbo-"

Suddenly the door flew open, a beautiful teenager with flowing white hair stepped in.

"What's this I hear about there being a newbie?" She scoffed.

Erza began to quickly wrap Lucy's hand, "Mira, This is Lucy." Erza reverted to her stoic attitude, a far cry from the excitable girl she'd been seconds before.

"Why didn't anyone tell me? I wanted to do the introduction speech." The girl grumbled, hands on hips.

"I actually haven't gotten the int-" Lucy started, trying to diffuse the tension.

Erza interrupted Lucy, "Mirajane, it was Mavis's decision, maybe next time?"

Lucy looked up, so this was Mirajane... Lucy shivered.

Mirajane was beautiful, no doubt about it, but there was a fiery quality to her eyes, voice, and attitude that gave her an almost demon-esque quality.

"Better be. Come get me next time, kid." Mirajane sighed and exited, slamming the door shut behind her.

Erza and Lucy stared at each other in silence for a few moments before they both began to nervously giggle.

"Let's be friends, I don't have many girl friends... Any real girl friends, really." Erza let go of Lucy's bandaged hand, looking her in the eye excitedly.

"I'd like that very much." Lucy smiled back sweetly.

"Come on, let's go find Wakaba, he should be somewhere on the dock, smoking." Erza stood up and pulled Lucy up grabbing her non-tattooed hand.

It didn't take long for the two girls to find Wakaba, he was sitting on the edge of the dock, taking puffs from a cigarette expertly.

"Wakaba," Erza made her presence known "This is Lucy, she'll be needing a bunk."

"Pleasure to meet you, kiddo." Wakaba smiled in a friendly fashion, which seemed to contradict his young, delinquent appearance.

"Hello." Lucy politely nodded.

"You can either get your own room, for now, mind you, or stay with someone else, maybe Erza if you want." Wakaba scratched his chin.

Lucy pondered her options, she could stay alone in a room, until some mystery person in the vague future joined the crew and became her bunkmate, OR she could room with Erza, who she already knew and had become friends with.

"I'll stay with Erza, if that's okay?" Lucy looked to Erza for approval before Erza nodded enthusiastically and Wakaba nodded and waved them off with a "Welcome to the crew, kid."

"Great," Erza said as she clapped her hands together excitedly, "Do you have anything you have to put in our room? Any worldly possessions? Clothes? Weapons?"

"No... I'm starting my life from scratch." Lucy sighed, looking at the sky as she and Erza boarded the ship once again, "Now I'm just Lucy. Age 11. Daughter to no one and property of no one."

"Rebirth is sometimes necessary in order to move on with your life." Erza nodded understandingly.

"Speaking of which, how old are you?" Lucy asked as Erza led them back to their room slowly so Lucy could take the time to memorize the twists and turns of the halls.

"I am actually not sure..." Erza shrugged, indifferent to her actual age, "What does it matter?"

"I guess it doesn't. Not here anyway, i assume." Lucy smiled as Erza opened the door to their room.

"Exactly." Erza threw herself onto her cot, turning onto her side.

Lucy sat on her cot, pulling her knees to her chest, preparing to have a long talk with her new friend and roommate.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning Lucy awoke in pitch black. The bunk was dark because the lantern had burned out in the night, Lucy however hadn't thought of that and quickly worked herself into a panic.

"Erza? Erza?!" Crawled to the floor and tried to feel her way to Erza's cot, which she quickly found to be empty.

"Hello?" Lucy crawled back to her cot and crept underneath it, curling up in the corner of the room. "Erza...?" Lucy was about to start crying when the door to the room flew open and a young girl holding a lantern stood in the doorway.

"Hello?" She inched into the room, her lantern illuminating it.

"Hullo.." Lucy whispered as she crawled out from under her hammock-style cot, standing up and brushing herself off.

"Hey, I'm Levy. You are?" The blue haired girl held out her free hand to shake Lucy's.

"Lucy Hear-" Lucy stopped herself, "Just Lucy.. Nice to meet you." She accepted Levy's hand and smiled down at the tiny girl before her.

"You're new?" Levy asked.

"Yes, I joined yesterday. Where is Erza?" Lucy shyly retracted her hand.

"Oh she's up and about, we're out now, on the water. Erza helps out at the helm somedays when Freed is tired or out of commission."

As if a switch had been flipped, Lucy could suddenly feel the floor rocking, slowly and gently, but it surprised Lucy enough to make her fall backwards, just catching herself before she fell to the floor.

"We're already out to sea? Can you take me to the deck? What should i be doing?" Lucy wrung her hands.

"Yeah, of course. You can learn the ropes, but afterwards you should just hang around and observe the people who know what they're doing. I don't actually do much around here, sometimes i help the captains with the paperwork and stuff, but after you learn how to help out with actually keeping the boat moving, you really don't have to do much, all the hard jobs are taken. In time you'll find what you're really good at and you'll be able to contribute, but there's no rush." Levy began leading Lucy out into the hall and around corners, eventually up a flight of stairs. The bright morning sunlight made Levy and Lucy's eyes squint reflexively.

"Thanks for bringing me up here." Lucy shaded her eyes as the two girls stumbled up the stairs.

"You're welcome," Levy tittered, "But you really should learn to navigate down there, if you get lost it might take hours to find another person, this ship is quite large. It has over 300 rooms, 4 levels, and is home to roughly 230 people. Also, just a word of advice," Levy stopped at the top of the stairs. "Don't open doors that you are not 100% sure about, you might walk in on something dangerous or disgusting.."

"Okay.. Thanks." Lucy said as Levy waved and continued walking, until she disappeared into the captains' cabin. Lucy looked around, looking for Erza.

"Lucy!" She heard faint yelling. She looked around, not seeing Erza, or anything really, before she was tackled to the ground.

"Hey there, I'm Natsu!" The lump weighing Lucy down to the floor said.

"Please get up." Lucy groaned, feeling as though she would run out of air at any point.

"Sorry!" Lucy heard as the boy stood up, yanking on her hand, resulting in her flying to her feet in a rag doll fashion.

"Hello, I'm Lucy." She sighed as she pulled back her hand.

"I know!" Natsu laughed a bit.

"... How?" Lucy took a wary step back.

"Erza told us." Natsu gave Lucy a thumbs up.

"Us?" Lucy started before she saw a small blue cat totter to Natsu's side.

"Yeah, me, Happy, Lisanna, and the cold asshole."

"Happy?" Lucy asked as she pointed at the cat, that stared up at her as it appeared to smile.

"Yeah, this is Happy, he's the best friend I could ask for!" Natsu smiled, his messy pink hair fell into his face. Lucy knelt down to pet the cat, who purred contently, keeping his large eyes trained on Lucy's.

"Wait, who're Lisanna and the cold person?" Lucy looked up from Happy, who in turn lightly nipped Lucy's hand and ran off down the stairs.

"Oh.."Lucy stared after the cat.

"Lisanna is my other best friend," Natsu's boyish grin morphed into a sneer, "The pricksicle, we just let hang around us cuz the others can't see how stupid he is.." Lucy watched as Natsu seemingly lost himself in thought, finding herself thoroughly amused with this strange child.

"Shouldn't you go get Happy? Will he get lost?" Lucy looked back to the stairs that went down below as if the cat in question would suddenly return if she mentioned his name.

"Nah, he's fine." Natsu shrugged before his head turned towards the quarter deck abruptly, "Time to go! See you later, Lucy!" Lucy watched as Natsu all but sprinted to and down the stairs in less than 3 seconds, hearing his heavy footfalls going farther down into the huge ship.

"Hey there, newbie!" Lucy looked up to see a boy about her age with black hair walking down the stairs from the quarter deck towards her with Erza accompanying him.

"Ahh, you must be the 'pricksicle'." Lucy guessed with an easygoing smile on her face, she had a feeling it wouldn't be hard to win over Erza's friends.

"I see you've already met the pyromaniac." The 'pricksicle' smirked, Lucy found that he had a sharp type of attractiveness about him, the type one could easily get caught on.

"No name calling, aren't you two friends?" Erza glared at the boy threateningly.

"Oh yes, Erza, the best of friends!" The boy halfheartedly affirmed.

"I should hope so." Erza nodded once before smiling at Lucy and returning to the helm, Lucy assumed.

"My real name is Gray, just so you know." The 'pricksicle' held out a hand for Lucy to shake.

"Oh really? I could've sworn it was pricksicle!" Lucy exclaimed in mock astonishment.

"Very funny, Lady Lucy, keep that up and you'll find yourself thrown off deck. I hope you can swim." Gray teased. Lucy found him strangely articulate for such a young boy of what she assumed to be a low class background.

"Of course I can, I'm too old not to." Lucy admonished. Lucy stared at his hand, which she realized was still held out to her in his seemingly lackluster fashion, taking it, she asked "Where did you receive an education, you seem well learned." Lucy complimented her new crew mate.

"There was an upper class woman who tutored me and my cousin for a while before I came here." Gray stated with a bored look on his face, Lucy guessed he didn't like talking much about himself.

"How fortunate." Lucy released his hand.

"Gray!" Lucy turned to see an orange haired boy wave to Gray as he made his way over. Lucy was beginning to wonder why the ship had so many children on the crew, not that she could complain much, she liked being around people her own age, she wasn't able to very much at her family's home.

"Loke." Gray held up a hand as he grinned at his friend, "This is Lucy, she's the new kid everyone's talking about."

'Loke' leaned in and threw his arm around Lucy's shoulders, "Hey there, Lucy." Lucy stood still for a moment before she turned to stare blankly at Gray, who broke down into uncontrollable laughter as soon as he and Lucy made eye contact.

"What? What is it?" Loke looked mildly annoyed as he retracted his arm, staring expectantly at Gray.

"Her fuckin' face!" Gray said as he continued his laughing. Loke looked back to Lucy, whose features had returned to an impressive poker face. Lucy shrugged at Loke. After Gray caught his breath he looked between Loke and Lucy, who had used the time it took Gray to find himself, to spark up a conversation about their tattoo placement.

"I got mine on my back, it made it so hard to sleep while it was still sore." Loke reminisced.

"Yeah, having it on my hand makes things pretty easy, except keeping it dry and out of the sun..." Lucy scratched her head with her unbandaged hand.

"I got mine on my chest, because it was the easiest place to get it." Gray shared, his hand cupping his chin as he appeared to be in deep thought.

"That makes sense." Lucy and Loke nodded.

"I'm off to figure out what I can grab, before everyone realizes it's almost time to eat." Loke waved as he started for the stairs.

"Can't fight that logic!" Gray shrugged as he hurriedly followed Loke down the stairs.

Lucy stood alone for a moment before she realized she hadn't eaten in a long time, and was starving. "I want food.." She mumbled to herself.

"Oh, want me to show you where to get some?" A soft voice came from behind Lucy. She turned quickly, in a defensive manner. She found herself face to face with a very cute girl with white hair and energetic, bright blue eyes.

"I am Lisanna, Mira's sister." The girl smiled at Lucy in a non threatening way.

"I am Lucy... I've heard a lot about you." Lucy smiled back, unsure what to make of Lisanna, something about her pit Lucy off.

"Good things, i hope?" Lisanna engaged in Lucy's small talk.

"Yes, Natsu adores you." Lucy nodded once as she watched Lisanna's face glow red in a heartbeat.

"Ahh.. So, food?" Lisanna mumbles.

"Sure, how does food work around here?" Lucy followed as Lisanna slowly led her down the stairs, talking all the way.

"So... Lucy, where are you from?" Gray asks from across the table the group of children managed to snag before the dining hall filled up.

"Oh, just outside of the town we just departed." Lucy answered without really thinking.

"And your family? What're they like?" Lisanna asked with a curious stare on her face.

"My mother was beautiful and kind, and amazing." Lucy said as she sighed and stared at her bowl of stew with faraway eyes, "My father used to be okay, but recently he's been... difficult."

The group nodded sympathetically, before Lisanna mumbles "I don't even remember my parents, they died when I was younger. Mira was the one that saved us."

Lucy reaches her good hand over to comfortingly squeeze Lisanna's hand.

"Well, let's get started with learning the ropes!" Erza excitedly claps her hands together as she stands, looking at Lucy.

Lucy sighed as she stood up, "Okay, hopefully I can learn it all in a few hours.."

"Prepare for the most intensive two hours of your life!" Loke hollers from the table as Erza led Lucy out of the large dining hall.

Three hours and several rope burns later, Lucy plopped her bottom down on the wooden deck. "And done!" She halfheartedly cheers for herself, carefully wiping her sweaty palms on the skirt of her long maroon dress, before she pinched some of the best quality cotton money could buy. It was one of the only things her father had personally given her that she took with her when she ran away. The hem came halfway down Lucy's shins went she was standing, while the sleeves ended just before her elbows. Had Lucy been back her hometown, Lilica, the dress would've been considered quite fashionable, had she layered a few petticoats beneath her skirt. Though, Lucy supposed fashion didn't mean much on a pirate ship, she internally shrugged. Lucy looked up from the wooden boards making up the deck to inspect Erza's attire. Erza donned a peasant-style blouse over a long, heavy woolen skirt, her hair in a ponytail at the crown of her head. The blouse looked similar to the light blouse Levy wore as well, though Levy had a shorter skirt made of a more freely flowing fabric. Lucy watched as Erza made her way to the captains' quarters, presumably to update one of the captains, or both, that Lucy had been well and thoroughly trained.

Later that night as Lucy was lying in her hammock, in the pitch black room that she shared with Erza. Lucy was trying not to think about her father and the life she left behind.

Images flashed behind Lucy's eyelids, of her mother laughing as she read Lucy bedtime stories, her father looking at Lucy pridefully when she was younger, Lucy's first friend, a young maid, Virgo, and other joy filled memories tickled Lucy's mind.

"I never wanted to leave home... It's all I know..." Lucy breathed out into the silent room, to no one in particular, "But I needed to go, I couldn't stay." Lucy sniffled softly, she'd guessed Erza was asleep, though her assumption was disproved when she heard Erza say "Want to talk about it?" And with that, Lucy began to babble and spill tears like a brook, she began to sob like the young child she still was.

Erza slipped out of her cot and blindly fumbled her way to Lucy, once she reached her, Erza knelt beside Lucy's hammock and stroked Lucy's hair soothingly. "It's going to be okay." Erza whispered.

Once again, Lucy woke up alone in the dark.

She eased herself off her hammock and fumbled to where she hoped the door was, fortunately, she wasn't far off and quickly managed to pull open the door to the hall and tumble into the dimly lit hallway.

Looking around the wooden hall, Lucy saw a girl, even younger than herself, in a dirty, worn dress, wearing a bloodstained apron. Lucy had to squint her eyes to see better in the light provided by a lantern haphazardly hung by a hook on the ceiling of the hallway. The other girl couldn't have been older than 7, Lucy stared at the girl, who stared back curiously.

"Hello." Lucy offered a hand to the girl, who stood a few paces back.

"Hello," The girl's pockets clinked and clanked as she stepped forward to grasp Lucy's hand and shake it. "I am Wendy Marvell."

Suddenly feeling at ease, Lucy's body sagged slightly with relief.

"I'm Lucy." She smiled amicably, "How'd you get your apron so dirty?" Lucy curiously added.

"Oh," Wendy looked down, inspecting at herself, "Well, I am the surgeon of the ship."

Lucy stared incredulously, apparently speechless.

"No, I swear!" Wendy half-smiled as she reached into her apron pockets and pulled out an assortment of scalpels, forceps, etc., all expertly displayed in her small hands.

"But you're so young.." Lucy noted, still shocked.

"I don't know if you noticed, but we're all young around here, so we do what we can to help." Wendy nodded politely before returning her tools of trade to her deep, blood soaked pockets and heading in the direction Lucy guessed the stairs were.

Lucy stared after Wendy for a moment before she began walking the same way, counting the doors she passed and noting the turns she made.

Finally, Lucy found herself at the bottom of the stairs leading to the deck. She turned, back to the stairs and proudly looked around, no one was in any of the hallways she glanced down, but through the wooden walls she could hear the sounds of living. Lucy could hear snoring, talking, groaning, squealing, when she closed her eyes she could even swear she heard a quiet purring.

"Luce!" A loud voice yelled down the stairs, causing Lucy to flinch as she turned to look up the stairs, just in time to see Natsu free falling down towards her.

Thump-thud!

Lucy opened her eyes to look up at her excitable friend, she blinked a few times before sensing the soreness of her head.

"Oh, sorry." Natsu rolled off of Lucy and offered her a hand, which she didn't seem to notice as she sat up slowly.

"Huh?" Lucy grunted.

"Great, dumbass, you broke her!" Gray's voice seemed to screech.

"Shhhhhhhhhh!" Lucy scrunched her eyes shut and began rubbing the back of her head carefully.

"What's wrong? Are you hurt?" Natsu crouched down so he and Lucy were face to face.

"Of course she's hurt, you tackled her from up there." Gray pointed to the top of the stairs.

"I hit my head.." Lucy mumbled.

"Oh, that's serious, Natsu, get Wendy." Gray murmured.

"What, why don't you?" Natsu whined.

"Natsu, do it." Lucy groaned.

With that, Natsu silently complied and ran up the stairs to search for the ship's surgeon.

"I think... That today... Is not so nice." Lucy slurred before falling unconscious.


	3. Chapter 3

"Wake up!" Lucy's head jerked to the side and her cheek stung.

"Whhhh?" She incoherently garbled.

"Good," Wendy's mild voice sighed, "That's good, she woke up."

"What now?" Erza's cold timbre concurred.

"Well, she needs rest, and shouldn't sleep until nightfall, just to be safe. I'm very serious about rest, no physically demanding tasks or mentally draining jobs." Wendy warned.

"I've got her, go on, Wendy." Erza reassured.

"This is your fault, stupid." Gray's annoyed remark didn't go unaccompanied, Lucy heard a soft thump.

"Don't fucking touch me, ice pansy." Natsu growled.

"Hey, aren't you two friends?" Erza threateningly sassed.

"Yeah!"

"Yes!"

Lucy opened her eyes, "Shut.. up..." She grumbled.

"Lucy!" Erza turned to her and helped her sit up.

"I'm glad you're okay." Gray informed.

"Sorry." Natsu awkwardly gulped, scratching the back of his head.

"Just be more careful, Natsu. That was reckless." Lucy lectured.

"Okay, you two out, you're going to stress her out." Erza shooed the two rowdy boys.

"Alright, I'm going to take the crow's nest today, I'm taking it easy today too. So, you can wander around and explore, make more friends, whatever you like, just remember to stay awake and eat at meal times. If you get lost in the halls, stay put and wait, if it's dire, knock on a door you think you won't get killed for opening." Erza disclosed.

"How do I know I won't get killed for opening a door?" Lucy stared at Erza doe-eyed, unknowingly unbolting the protective, caring side of Erza.

"Ah," Erza leaned down to hug Lucy quickly before jumping up and racing out the door while saying "You know what? Don't open any doors, unless you're sure you know what's on the other side. I've got to go, Lisanna's in the crow's nest in my place right now and she hates heights!"

"Oh... Okay." Lucy mumbled to the now empty room.

"What now?" She whispered to herself.

The years had been kind to Lucy Heartfilia, by age 17 she'd blossomed into a beautiful young woman. Standing at an acceptably average height, Lucy was now muscular and buxom, she had a sensual and dangerous gait. Strangers might even call her terrifying, due to her high status as quartermaster of the Fairy Tail pirate ship, and how lethal she'd become.

Lucy still found it strange that no one had put the pieces together that little Lucy Heartfilia, who went missing 6 years prior, had become the feared and infamous Lucy of Fairy Tail.

Lucy had her own quarters now, she and Erza hadn't shared a room in years. The crew had gained and lost members, but Lucy had been a steady piece on the board, so to speak, unbeaten and unchallenged, just how she liked it. Erza was now the captain of the ship, with Gray as her first mate and master gunner. Mirajane had ascended to the position of head cook, she'd grown so much from when she was young, rebellious, and spunky. After the loss of Lisanna, the fire in Mira's heart died and her spirit calmed, Not the calm of peace, but the eerie calm of the surface of a still lake. Natsu grew taller and muscular, but he remained just as loud and obnoxious as ever. Levy started a library for the ship down on the 3rd level below, there's a small, but growing, library.

Things have gone well for Fairy Tail, though competing pirate ships were becoming more common and more annoying. Erza, being how she is, barely sleeps anymore, between planning raids, drawing up battle strategies(with help from Lucy's expertise, of course), etc.

Lucy jolted awake to heavy hands pounding on her door.

"What?!" She hollered in reply.

The door flew open and Loke and Gray ran into the moderately sized room Lucy occupied.

"Babe! We've docked!" Loke cheered.

"Come on! You promised to sew me a new shirt! Let's go buy the fabric!" Gray, for once was excited about something other than food and fights. Lucy had become the unofficial seamstress of the ship since her (secret) background as an heiress provided her with a talent for stitching, sewing, designing, etc..

"Yeah, yeah, one sec." Lucy sat up and shrugged off her blanket, leaving her in just her shirt and undergarments.

"Loke," Her drowsy voice rasped, "My boots."

Loke retrieved Lucy's boots as Lucy stood up and shoved her legs blindly into a pair of men's pants she designed for herself, so they still had the roughness of her male counterparts' attire, but fit her properly and were far superior in comfort and quality.

Lucy sat on the floor and pushed her feet into the worn leather boots she treasured so much.

"Alrighty, boys." Lucy sighed as she got to her feet, "Off we go."

"This is it! This is the one." Loke pinched a sample of black silk between his thumb and index finger as he inspected it.

"No, it's too showy. Plus washing silk is a pain. Let's get clean cotton." Lucy turned to the rotund woman behind the counter staring at the trio suspiciously. No doubt wondering how long she had until she would have to fend off the rowdy pirates.

"We always get cotton, it's boring." Loke whines as Gray quietly inspects a blue roll of ribbon.

"Lucy, this ribbon is like the ones you'd buy when we were younger. When Erza would tie them into your hair." He put down the vibrant blue ribbon gently and picked up a maroon ribbon instead.

Lucy stared at her friend curiously, wondering if he had a point to what he said or if he was just being sentimental, before staring blankly out the open shop door.

"So... Cotton?" Loke pulled at Lucy's sleeve like a child seeking her attention.

"Yeah, yeah. Cotton.." She distractedly murmured.

After buying the fabric for his shirt, Loke and his companions strolled along the cobblestone street, just killing time until they have to go back to the ship.

"Is anyone hungry? Lunch is on me." Gray offers, and as if on cue, suddenly Lucy and Loke tune into the jingling sound coming from the coin pouch fastened in place near his right hip.

"Yeah, I could eat."

"Sure, I'm starved."

Loke and Lucy at the same time.

Gray looked at his friends with a dry humored stare.

"What're we eating?" Loke asks as he stares at the ground while they walk along.

"If I remember, I think we walked by a pub only a few minutes ago." Lucy offered, seizing her stroll. Gray and Loke also stopped walking and looked at Lucy as if to say 'it's your call.'

"So, that's it." Lucy turned slowly and leisurely began walking back the way they came.

"I'm so glad they have pork and cabbage stew, it's practically all I ate when I was little." Gray smiled softly at the half empty bowl before him.

"It's good, I can't believe I've never had it before." Lucy happily slurped the soup, holding the bowl to her lips with two hands.

Loke was in his own world, completely disconnected from reality since he ordered the largest, rarest steak Lucy had ever seen. As he sloppily devoured his meal, Gray and Lucy pleasantly discussed the weeks events and Gray told stories of things he'd experienced as one of the crew members on constant laundry duty.

After the two finished their delightfully filling stew and returned their bowls to the barkeep, with Loke still preoccupied, Lucy finally brought up what was on her mind.

"Gray. What's up with you? Are you doing alright?"

"What? What do you mean?"

"Earlier you brought up my hair ribbons and you were acting weird." Lucy reached a hand across the table to grasp Gray's reassuringly. Gray looked up at Lucy, for a moment, Lucy could have sworn Gray's eyes were teary, but when she did a double take they were dry, as usual.

"It was nothing, I've just been thinking about... things. The past, the future, life..." Gray's face looked no different from normal at first glance but after years of staring Gray in the eyes, Lucy could see a spark of something. She couldn't tell at that time if it was worry or panic. "Yeah," Gray's eyes shifted so quickly Lucy could have sworn it was a trick of the light, "I'm great... There's just been stories.. Circulating."

"About?" Lucy pried.

"I'll tell you later." Gray jerked his head towards in the general direction of the rest of the pub, as of to say 'there are too many people who might overhear us.'

"If you say so.." Lucy redirected her attention to the wooden table before her.

"Yeah.. So.." Lucy elbowed Gray as she looked at him inquisitively. "What's the hot gossip?"

"Yeah, what's it?" Loke joined Lucy's crusade and prodded Gray.

"Loke, you dumbass! You already know this." Gray butted Loke with his shoulder.

"What?" Lucy scowled at Loke before returning her prying eyes to Gray. "Spill it, like last night's beer mug."

"I've heard that... There is another ship. That rivals our power, but not our morals, if you know what i mean.."

Lucy raises an eyebrow, "A pirate ship that is particularly violent?"

Loke nods, turning his head to make sure none of the passerby pedestrians were too keen on what was being said. "They have been known to capture other pirate ships, pillage, rape, thieve, and then kill all the survivors."

"Oh." Lucy's eyes hardened, she hated unnecessary violence and cruelty.

"They don't even respect or accept parlé, from what i heard." Loke grumbles.

"Terrible." Lucy muttered "That's bullshit. They better not come after us. We'll slit their goddamn throats." Lucy hissed.

"Yeah we will!" Gray cheered. Loke threw his arms around the shoulders of his friends and began to guide them back to the Fairy Tail ship, fuming collectively the entire time.


	4. Chapter 4

"We'll be departing tomorrow! Whatever you all do tonight-" Erza pauses to allow the crew to whoop and holler appropriately, "make sure you come back quickly tomorrow!" The dining hall was full of chatter as dinner was served by Mira and her helpers.

"I'm gonna go take a walk after this, enjoy land for a bit longer." Levy sighed as she waited for the food servers to reach her table.

"Haha, Levy, you make it sound like you'll never see land again." Lucy clucked, clearly amused.

"You never know." Levy said ominously as a meek smile painted her coral-colored lips.

"Aah, quit it, Levy! Don't joke about that, it's bad luck." Lucy scoffed.

"There is no such thing as luck, there is, and there is not." Levy says, the small, blank smile on her face warms a bit for Lucy.

"Whatever, don't patronize me, Levy." Lucy smiled impishly, nodding her thanks to the crewmate who filled her bowl with rice porridge. Levy rolled her eyes as she began to eat her own porridge.

"What's that sound?" Gray barked as he jumped at the loud blasts that shook the ship.

"Canon fire?" Natsu jumped up and began to run to the stairs.

"What the hell?" Erza's wall was blown wide open, leaving her standing in her cabin staring out the hole at a far away ship waving the skull and crossbones flag.

"Hmmm?" Levy looked up from a book she was skipping through. "Oh..." She squeaked as she realized what was going on. "Oh no."

"Shit." Lucy bolted from her room up to the deck, making it up to the deck to see a ship sailing out of the bay that the small town was located in, the setting sun creating a dramatic but anticlimactic scene.

"Everyone," Erza addressed the crew "we were attacked and will be docked for repairs for a few more days. Thanks for your patience, and those who would like take on leadership roles, come find me after I'm done with this announcement."

"I'm headed for a walk. I need a breather." Levy mumbled to her companions.

"We'll come with you, it isn't safe out at night." Jet offered.

"Especially since you could get lost." Droy added.

"Oh, alright." Levy walked the dark, empty streets of whatever small town the ship had docked in, she had trouble recalling the name. Jet and Droy quietly accompanied her, walking in step a few feet behind Levy. A shiver traveled up her spine, making Levy uncomfortable for a reason she knew was not the chilled night air.

Levy heard footfalls from her far right, startled, she called out "Hello? Guys do you hear that?" As she tried to turn as quickly as possible. Then she was knocked unconscious.

No more than an hour had passed when Lucy knew something was off. No one was as dependable and consistent as Levy, you could count on it. Disappearing after claiming to be going on a short walk was definitely not consistent. It was nerve wracking. Plus Jet and Droy were missing along with Levy. This could only be bad news.

Somewhere not far away, a different group of pirates sat in a shady bar, drinking questionable liquor.

"Pass the bottle." Aria held out a hand to his crewmate.

"The bottle is property of us all, perhaps you should have poured some in your cup before the bottle left your vicinity." Juvia stared at her half empty cup.

Sol nodded and Totomaru just sighed and downed the rest of the contents of his mug.

"So..." A gruff voice sounded from a different table. "Are you gonna nab the bitch or what? It's a direct order from Jose."

"Gajeel, yes, we will do as the captain commands. We will succeed." Juvia's eyes never left her mug of alcohol.

"We found them!" Wendy practically flew onto the deck of the ship, the way she ran was precise and sleek. "They're bringing Levy, Jet, and Droy back to the ship. They were banged up pretty bad. Make sure they are brought to the infirmary, I'll be there preparing." Then Wendy flew down below the deck.

Once the injured members of the crew were retrieved and patched up in the infirmary, Erza rushed in to see their conditions.

"Who did this?" Erza demanded once she took in the blood seeping through fragile little Levy's bandages around her arms, hands, and legs. Erza then looked at Droy and Jet briefly, who had bandaged in the same places as Levy and had blood staining their clothes and bandages as well. "Who hurt my crew?" Erza ground out.

"He said he was of the Phantom Lord crew..." Levy rasped.

"That's the terrible crew that everyone has been gossiping about." Erza informed.

"He carved their symbol into my stomach.." Levy whimpered.

"His name.. Was Gajeel... He said." Droy mumbled.

"What did he do?" Lucy whispered, trying not to sound angry or upset them any further.

"He beat the living shit out of us. Tortured us. Ridiculed us..." Jet gargled through a bruised cheek and a split lip.

"No." Erza said as she turned to leave the room. "This is war. Elfman, take some other and go find these bastards."

"Those damn cowards," Natsu spat, "that was not fair. You can't just ambush them when they're cut off from the rest of the crew, it's back handed!"

"For once, we agree on something." Gray growled as he sat hunched on the side rail of the Fairy Tail ship.

"It was unnecessarily cruel and was total bullshit." Lucy agreed as she worried about her friend and crewmates.

"This is infuriating..." Erza barked as she paced back and forth on the deck.

"Tell me the fuck about it." Laxus seemed to have appeared out of thin air, standing behind Lucy with a threatening scowl gracing his features.

"We'll get our revenge for sure." Gray assured his crewmates.

"We better." Lucy glanced up at Laxus to find they had the same angry grimace on their faces.

"Hey, you two could be siblings." Natsu distractedly looked from Lucy to Laxus.

"I guess... We're both blonde and angry. That's about all we have in common." Lucy looked at Laxus, studying his entire face, his scar, his thin lips, his spiky hair, and the way his eyebrows drew together.

Laxus looked down at Lucy, he appeared to still be angry until he smirked and said "Siblings don't do this." He then leaned down, using one hand to tilt Lucy's head up, capturing her lips with his own.

Lucy, not missing a beat, deepened the kiss and wrapped her arms loosely around Laxus's neck. Laxus, who initiated the kiss for the shock factor, was frozen from surprise that Lucy went along with it.

"What the f-" Loke whispered.

"WHAT-" Natsu roared, Happy mewled from his place at Natsu's feet.

Lucy broke the kiss, "If you gave me some sort of sickness or kissing disease, I'm going to castrate you and pleasure myself with your lost manhood while you are chained to the wall on the other side of the room crying and bleeding profusely."

Everyone who was going to raise hell about the sudden development promptly decided to remain silent, no amount of their scolding or lecturing Laxus could amount to such a threat to his livelihood from Lucy herself.

Laxus's smirk grew, he nodded and stepped back, "I always did like 'em feisty." While he did seem completely at ease at first glance, the lack of color in his face made it clear to onlookers that he was definitely uncomfortable and maybe even a little afraid.

"I'm out guys, I wanna be alone for a bit." Lucy waved as she got up from her seat on top of a barrel.

"Alright, be careful, anyone of us could be ambushed next." Erza said distractedly as he continued her pacing.

"Oh yeah, I'm off too, I'm gonna help out Elfman." Natsu bolted.

"I'm in too!" Gray sprinted after Natsu.

"Got it." Lucy climbed the steps to the quarterdeck.


	5. Chapter 5

Finally alone, Lucy leaned on the thick wooden rail of the ship, sighing. Levy definitely didn't deserve such terrible treatment, she wasn't even combatant. Though, the Fairy Tail crew were no angels, they were no brutes either. Unlike the Phantom Lord crew apparently. Lucy sighed once again and peered down at the dark water. Illuminated by the moonlight, the water danced and glimmered. All except for one spot in the water that seemed to remain devoid of light. As understanding gripped her, a net flew up over Lucy and pulled her down towards the darkness. Grunting at the impact of landing in long, bony arms, Lucy tried to yell, but suddenly everything went dark.

"A job done well enough." Sol dropped the unconscious Lucy carelessly to the floor of the tiny rowboat he and Juvia had expertly placed.

"If Sol rows, Juvia will tie up the hostage for extra measures." Juvia began gathering the rough rope from the floor of the boat.

"Alright."

Elfman and the people who accompanied him had found the Phantom Lord ship with ease, it was only a few miles away from the bay.

"Let's raise hell." Elfman growled as he stared up at the large ship.

"Hey, what took you all so long? It's about goddamn time." Gajeel grinned sadistically from his perch on the edge of the large ship.

Since the ship was roughly 50 yards offshore it was difficult to see the shit eating grin on Gajeel's face, but it was easily heard in his booming voice.

"I got this, guys. I'm a man." Elfman scowled at the pirate lounging on the ship.

"Let's get to it." Gajeel's last words before he performed a precise and graceful dive into the water. The early morning light that was neither sunlight nor moonlight made the water look impossibly dark. Sooner than what should have been possible, Gajeel rose from the water having reached the beach already. His long black hair was tangled and dripping, his clothes were soaked, and yet he seemed to be unperturbed, continuing his walk with a natural ease towards the Fairy Tail crew members.

"Alright." Elfman drew his sword, proudly wielding the blades so sharp that he could behead the man before him in one swing.

"Alright." Gajeel mocked Elfman, before pulling a large but thin ax from it's sheath on his back.

Even though Elfman was huge, towering over Gajeel, he could tell the other man was skilled with his weapon of choice and that his own size would be a weakness in this fight. Of course Elfman had long since figured out that his large stature meant that smaller, faster enemies would have the upper hand on him, but he was prepared to win with sheer willpower. Gajeel wasted no time in striking the first blow, one that Elfman barely deflected.

"Alright, let's fight too! Erza and backup will arrive soon!" Gray hollered as he began to wade into the water, leading the rest of his crewmates to the ship.

"Yeah!" The others enthusiastically whooped.

Lucy woke up alone in a dark wooden cell with iron bars. She immediately understood her predicament, she was being held prisoner in an enemy's ship, probably Phantom Lord's. There was a single oil lamp secured to the wooden wall across from Lucy's cell, it illuminated the room in dim light, causing the metal bars to glint. Lucy wasn't stupid enough to alert her captors of her consciousness, but she also disliked the nerve racking silence that accompanied being alone in a strange new place. Rising from the straw pallet she had been lying on, Lucy inspected herself. Her blouse had been buttoned up, which she rarely did because she liked feeling the ocean breeze on her skin.

' _So someone buttoned up my shirt? It was either a woman or a morally upright man. But if this is Phantom Lord, there are no morally upright men.._ ' Lucy brainstormed. ' _So, a woman... If she went ahead and buttoned my shirt, I can assume she's uptight. So she wouldn't leave me here alone unattended... Unattended..._ '

Just as she reached the conclusion that she was definitely not alone, Lucy heard light breathing from her right. Turning her head swiftly, she noticed a woman in clean, soft clothes seated on the pallet in the cell beside her own. Just as she had predicted, the Phantoms had left someone to watch her and perhaps even play mind games with her.

"Good day." The woman said in a monotonous voice.

"Not really... And you?" Lucy took a seat on her own pallet, staring hard at the woman.

"My day has been... Uneventful but still quite a bother. It is now the morning, just in case you wanted to know." The woman's dark blue eyes remained locked on Lucy's.

"Ah, so... Were you the one who kidnapped me?" Lucy cut right to the chase.

"Yes, Juvia was one of them." The woman sighed and folded her hands in her lap. "Juvia told them that the woman would not think I was a fellow prisoner."

"What? Who is Juvia?" Lucy noted the way the woman's blue hair seemed to absorb the light from the lamp's glow.

"Juvia is Juvia." The woman pointed to herself, her sickly pale skin seemed to reflect light, giving her the effect of radiance.

"So you are Juvia?" Lucy was getting confused.

"Yes." Juvia nodded once.

"Alright." Lucy looked at Juvia's cell, "I wouldn't have thought you were a prisoner anyway, you left your cell door wide open."

"Juvia supposes you would be correct. Juvia had forgotten." She began to pick at her nails absentmindedly.

"So, why did you take me?" Lucy absentmindedly braided a small section of her hair.

"You are Lucy Heartfilia, no?" Juvia tilted her head minutely, "Your father placed a bounty on your head and published your childhood portraits so people could identify you. He loves you very much."

"No!" Lucy felt as though her world was caving in. "He doesn't love me, he wants to sell me! You can't let him take me!" Lucy pitifully crawled to the bars separating Juvia and herself, gripping them until her knuckles were stark white. "Please!?" She pleaded, panic stricken.

"Juvia is not captain, thus Juvia makes no executive decisions. Juvia cannot help you, and you cannot help yourself." Juvia apologetically explained.

"No no no! You don't know what he can do!" Lucy desperately whispered as tears overwhelmed her, "He loves nothing but money, my father. He will sell me to the highest bidder and call it marriage!"

"Juvia has no say in this. Jose is captain, Juvia is a loyal subordinate." The woman's cheeks flushed light pink, if Lucy didn't know better, she would say Juvia actually wanted to help her, that could come in handy later.

"I'd rather die at sea, than live as a whore with my father." Lucy pathetically whispered, letting go of the metal bars and receding to her lumpy pallet, like a fading ghost. Juvia said nothing, which was fine for Lucy, she just let herself cry and cry, sobbing like a widow. Heavy footsteps approached the cells, Lucy paused her crying to look up and sniffle.

"Gajeel, how did it go?" Juvia stood up and exited her cell, standing by her crewmate, placing a hand on his arm.

"Fine, fights were fine. I fought some buff macho guy and some pink haired hyper kid. We won, no kills, but the captain was gravely injured and they retreated with her." Gajeel grinned at Juvia, patting her back once. "Get going, I've got watchdog duty now."

"Yes, Gajeel." Juvia spared Lucy one glance before turning and walking down the hall of cells to wherever the exit was, Lucy presumed.

"Hey there, Princess." Gajeel teased, "Your daddy misses you very much. It's been what- 5 years? 6?"

"Shut up." Lucy snarled, wiping her tears and snot on the knee of her trousers.

"Oh," Gajeel mocked surprise, "So you're still snarky? That's good, breaking spirit is a good way to pass the time." He grinned in a way that made Lucy freeze.

"Where is Lucy?" Levy asked from her bed in the infirmary.

"What?" Natsu blinked.

"Lucy." Levy mumbled.

"I... Haven't seen her all morning." Gray stumbled over his words.

"Fuck!" Loke jumped up and ran out of the infirmary.

"We gotta find her!" Natsu followed after Loke with Gray on his heels.

"Still got that smartass mouth on ya?" Gajeel roughly grabbed Lucy's chin and made her look up at him. The move reminded Lucy of the move Laxus had pulled back on her ship, she hoped this violent 'Gajeel' guy wouldn't kiss her, or do worse

The thought pushed Lucy past the breaking point, she began to laugh hysterically.

"What the hell is so funny?" Gajeel seemed even more annoyed than before.

"My crew is going to beat the living shit out of you when they see the condition you left me in!" Lucy hysterically giggled, even with blood dripping from a cut on her head past her hairline, staining bits of her golden locks red.

"Shut the hell up!" Gajeel began to pummel Lucy anew.

"Keep on hurting me, it doesn't change a thing outside of this crummy cell!" Lucy's widened eyes began to water.

"Well, it's changing you." Gajeel ground out the words before throwing one last punch at Lucy's temple, knocking her out cold.

Gajeel was beyond pissed off, this girl was getting under his skin.

He paced back and forth shortly before picking her up and unbuttoning her shirt, freeing her of it, and tying her wrists together with rope. Lifting the woman just a bit, and unabashedly copping a feel of her ass, Gajeel hooked the rope on her wrists on the iron hook on the ceiling. Why did he take of the girl's shirt? One might ask, well. Gajeel had taken notice that if women hated anything, they hated being naked before strange men. Gajeel would have completely disrobed her, but he wanted her to know he hadn't crossed certain lines, he was a man of low morals, but he still had boundaries. Sure he's a killer, but he was no rapist.

"Wake up, Princess." Gajeel lightly slapped her cheeks. The woman groaned and rolled her head back, but kept her eyes shut.

"Lucy Heartfilia. Wake up." Gajeel commanded.

"Loke, shut the fuck up." Lucy growled, "Wait, how'd you know my last na-" She finally opened her eyes. "Oh."

"Welcome back." Gajeel sarcastically drawled, taking a few steps back. Secretly wondering who this "Loke" was. He noted that she didn't seem to notice she'd been stripped, so Gajeel made a point of eyeing her up and down, hoping it would make her notice. It worked, Lucy looked down, and after realizing she was sans one shirt, she looked up at Gajeel. Though, rather than shrieking and twisting about, as Gajeel expected, Lucy smirked and asked "Enjoying the view?"

Gajeel quickly collected himself and came closer to Lucy again, "Aren't you a tad too confident?" He dipped his head so he was eye level with Lucy. He was so close that Lucy could bite off his nose if she lunged fast enough, and she did consider it. His breath was in her face, she smelled beer and tobacco and blood.

"It's alright to be confident when you actually have something to be proud of. You wouldn't know a thing about that though. Would you?" Lucy bit out the words. Her wrists ached ridiculously and her toes barely touched the floor with her suspended from the hook.

"Funny girl." Gajeel's grin grew, he was enjoying himself, and the eye candy wasn't bad either, "We'll see if you're so humorous when you meet the captain."

"We'll see if you're such an ass when my friends come to get me." Lucy grumbled. Gajeel snaked an arm around Lucy and ran a hand down her back, the skin was smooth except for a few scars and scabs. Gajeel felt Lucy get goosebumps, "So you're a kinky fucker, huh?" Lucy said dryly.

"Maybe, maybe not." Gajeel let his hand cup one of Lucy's ass cheeks as the other held her chin in place as they maintained eye contact.

"Look man, I'm not digging it, can you just let me down. Maybe, let me go?" Lucy rasped, trying and failing to seem confident.

"Still got that sparkling sense of humor. Soon you'll have to _drop_ that." Gajeel emphasized the word "drop", and licked Lucy's jawline by her ear slowly, nipping her earlobe roughly.

He knew it affected her since he felt her tense up. And with the taste of her sweat and blood on his tongue, Gajeel let her go and stepped back.

"He'll be here soon." Gajeel said as he strolled down the hall Juvia had disappeared down.

"Fuck you! And fuck your captain!" Lucy screamed at Gajeel's retreating back, only to hear his distant chuckle in return. And then Lucy was truly alone.

"We know you have her!" Natsu yelled up at the Phantom Lord ship.

"And what will you do about it?" One of the many pirates on the deck yelled back, followed by several "yeah!"s and hollers from his crewmates.

"Give her back!" Natsu demanded, he was really starting to get angry now.

"What do you all think? Should we give up our little treasure?" A booming, slippery voice asked the crew, who all called out "No captain." Simultaneously in return.

"That's what I thought." The man who spoke stepped back and disappeared. "Handle the Fairy trash."

"Take that back!" Natsu hollered up to the captain of the ship, who was long gone, unfortunately his crew was still present and were descending into the water and swimming to shore in hordes.

"Hello, Lucy." A voice seemed to come out of nowhere. "I see you've been naughty."

The man before her had appeared without footfalls, without a sound.

Lucy remained silent, lowering her head again, she was going to ignore this man if it killed her.

"Ah, I see how it is." Jose chuckled. "No matter, your father won't care what condition you're in when he gets you back as long as we keep scarring to a minimum, though I can see you've already marked yourself up quite a bit."

Lucy kept her head down, biting her tongue. Hopefully if she didn't engage the captain if the enemy ship, he would tire of the one sided conversation and leave her be.

"I could just let my men in here and let them get you talking." Jose offered, his voice was gleeful but, dripping with hot venom. Lucy knew he was serious. "They would really enjoy you, it isn't often that a dame as beautiful as yourself is trapped on our ship in our ropes."

Lucy felt her shoulders involuntarily tense up, try as she might, she couldn't block out Jose's words, and she did not want to take up his twisted offer. "How could I persuade you to release me?" She tried to make use of her people skills.

"'How'- you say? Join my crew, kill your own crew." Jose offered with a stiff smile.

"Oh..." Lucy murmured. "Well, we both know I can't do that. Any of that."

"Yes, of course I know." Jose's smile stays perfectly in place on his creepy face.

Suddenly, a loud thud sounds and Lucy hears something she had prayed for.

"Luce! I'm here!" Natsu yells as he jogs down the hall, kicking Jose in the groin and then bringing his knee to Jose's temple, hard.

"Natsu!" Luce sighed in relief, "break the door, we don't have time to find the key!"

"Aye aye!" Natsu began ramming his body into the metal cell's door. It quickly gave away and Natsu took Lucy down from the hook and cut her ropes.

"I was so scared." Lucy pulled Natsu into a hug.

"I know, Luce, but we gotta go! Let's talk later!" Natsu gripped Lucy around the waist holding her up as she wrapped her legs around Natsu's waist, Natsu then slid his arm beneath Lucy's bottom, raising her up so he could carry her easily. In this position, Lucy's bare breasts were on level with Natsu's eyes, though he didn't care much. Lucy didn't care who saw her chest, if men could be shirtless, so could a woman. Lucy draped herself over Natsu's right shoulder, ducking so that they'd fit through doorways.

"Alright, off we go!" Natsu took off jogging.

Soon, Natsu and Lucy made it to the deck, where fighting was still ongoing, but Fairy Tail was quickly pulling back.

"Got her!" Natsu yelled to his crewmates. The Fairy Tail crew cheered and the retreat sped up drastically, since there was no longer a reason to stick around.

Natsu let Lucy down on her feet, "Did they do anything? Anything too terrible?" Natsu's hands grasped Lucy's shoulders.

"No, I'm fine now. Thanks, Natsu. You're the best." Lucy smiled up at Natsu.

The two knew it was time to jump overboard, but Natsu pulled his best friend into a quick, tight hug, then ripped off his own shirt before he and Lucy dived into the water below. The two laughed hysterically the entire swim to shore. Upon reaching land, the pair met up with the rest of the crew that came to rescue Lucy, who hugged and thanked everyone.

"Later, losers!" Gray yelled at the Phantom Lord crew who stood watching on their ship, remaining in place without the order to attack.

"Later, you sick motherfuckers!" Natsu cackled and threw and arm around Lucy's shoulder, and the two shirtless teens followed their crew back into the forest to navigate their way back to town.

Lucy looked back just before the Phantom Lord ship went out of view, and noticed Gajeel standing on the deck staring directly at her, when he noticed she was looking, he nodded his head.

"So, what happened?" Natsu asked, and Lucy looked forward again.

"I'm not so sure, but I know I'm gonna be so sore and bruised tomorrow." Lucy laughed it off, she'd been hurt worse before. "So why'd you take off your shirt?"

"You weren't wearing yours and it felt right." Natsu shrugged.

"You're so stupid." Lucy giggled, "And you're the best! I love you, man!"

"I love you too, Luce!" Natsu's lips pulled into his dopey smile.

Back at the ship, Erza called a meeting of the whole crew. "So I caught wind that the Queen's men will be here to capture the Phantom Lord pirate crew and, since we are pirates, probably us as well. We need to get going, and quick. The repairs have been sped up drastically and can be improved upon arrival at a safer destination!"

"Good, I'm sick of this town." Gray said.

"Yeah.." Lucy halfheartedly agreed, though she had her encounters with Juvia and Gajeel playing on repeat in her mind. And just like that, Lucy decided she would save the two Phantoms.

"I'm not feeling too great, I'm going to take a nap or something." Lucy told her companions who were going to talk with Erza, they distractedly smiled and waved her off fondly. And Lucy made her escape off the side of their ship onto the wooden boardwalk below and broke sprinted through the small town to the forest.

Gajeel sat smoking alone on the deck of the Phantom Lord ship. His thoughts were on none other than Lucy Heartfilia. Her bloodsoaked hair, burning eyes, and the way she hugged that pink haired bastard. Gajeel spat on the floor, scowling as he stared at the trees ashore.

"Gajeel," Juvia's voice commanded his attention. "What fuels your anger on this fine afternoon?" She took a seat on the edge of the ship, her dark blue skirt rode halfway up her thighs, though it hardly mattered since she always wore shorts under her skirts.

"Just... That she got away. That means we failed the mission." Gajeel fabricated an excuse for his obvious agitation on the spot.

"Juvia sees.. Juvia, for one, is a little happy that Lucy got away.." She looked at the blue sky absentmindedly, before slowly bringing her eyes to the treeline. "Oh." She uttered.

"What?" Gajeel softly barked before he saw what Juvia was looking at. Lucy was standing on the shore, still not wearing a shirt, waving at them frantically before signaling them to keep quiet.

"In broad daylight? Is she stupid?" Gajeel said softly as he scanned the deck, it seemed no one else had noticed the woman ashore.

"Let's go to her." Juvia said before throwing herself backwards over the rail into the water, Gajeel dove after her. The two made it to the beach quickly, far faster than Lucy had expected.

"Hey, so, don't hurt me or take me." Lucy held up her hands defensively, "Follow me." She turned and ran into the forest. Juvia followed without question, though Gajeel worried it was an ambush so Lucy could exact her revenge. Nonetheless, Gajeel wouldn't let Juvia face that alone, he followed after the two women, until they reached a clearing in the canopy.

"Alright, here's the deal," Lucy began as soon as she stopped running, turning to stare at her ex-captors. "The Queen's army is coming to lock up pirates they find here. And I like you two, so you should come with me to my ship and get away from Phantom!" Lucy said quickly.

"She's crazy." Gajeel whispered to Juvia.

"I heard that." Lucy glared at Gajeel.

"I beat the shit out of you. She kidnapped you." Gajeel said as he crossed his arms, "Why would you help us?"

"Look, we don't have time for this, are you in or out? Do you wanna stowaway on my ship, or go down with yours?" Lucy groaned, sick of explaining.

"Juvia is on board with becoming a stowaway!" Juvia raises a hand.

"What if I ran back to my ship and warned them? And we get away." Gajeel stares Lucy down.

"That's your decision to make, but your ship sucks, everyone is selfish and mean." Lucy raises her chin confidently.

"Yeah, okay." Gajeel sighs, he always seemed to find himself swept away in adventures and other people's messes.

"Alright, hopefully, Fairy Tail hasn't left yet!" Lucy turns and sprints through more greenery, leaving Juvia and Gajeel to follow.


	6. Chapter 6

"Shhhhhh-shut the fuck up!" Lucy whisper yelled as she led Gajeel and Juvia through the halls of the Fairy Tail ship.

"I didn't even say anything." Gajeel muttered.

Lucy stopped and gave Gajeel a scowl before continuing on her way to her quarters.

Finally, they reached their destination and Lucy shoved open the door and ushered her new companions inside.

"Now what?" Gajeel made himself at home and reclined on Lucy's cot.

"I didn't plan this far ahead." Lucy admitted as she closed the door behind her. "But we'll figure something out. We could bring Erza down here and ask her to let you two join the crew, or we could hide you two in some empty rooms. What do you think?"

"Juvia would rather not have to sneak around, it's a hassle." Juvia took a seat by a few wooden crates of books that Lucy had in the corner of her room.

"I understand." Lucy sighed. "Gajeel?"

"I couldn't care less, I'm along for the ride at this point." Gajeel seemed to already be dozing off.

"Okay, I'll go get Erza." Lucy says as she opened a wooden box near the door and shrugged on a shirt, though she didn't button it up. Then Lucy slid out the door and disappeared.

"This will be a difficult transition. One way or another." Juvia mumbled as she pulled one of Lucy's books out of a crate and opened it gently.

"Yup." Gajeel was nearly asleep already.

"What did you need to show me? I don't know if I trust Gray **and** Natsu to handle keeping an eye on everything up there." Erza slowly followed Lucy down the hall to Lucy's quarters.

"I just need you to see it, I can't tell you until you've seen." Lucy urged as she rushed into her own room, letting Erza follow after her.

"Oh... And who is this?" Erza looked down at Gajeel, who was sound asleep in Lucy's cot. "Did you stowaway a lover from the town? You dog!" Erza teased.

"No, no." Lucy nervously shuffled, "That is Gajeel, and this-" Lucy motions to the corner where Juvia has her nose buried in a book, "is Juvia."

"Oh, hello." Erza nodded to Juvia before looking beratingly at Lucy, "Lucy, why are there two people on this ship that I do not know?" She hissed at Lucy, trying to remain discreet.

"I didn't want them to be executed by the Queen's men. I met them on the Phantom Lord ship, but they are good, I swear." Lucy bumbles.

"Lucy..." Erza sighs, "We are already on the water, so they're coming with us, I suppose. But you should have asked me..."

"I know, I'm sorry... I just wanted them to be okay. Juvia was good to me on the ship when she didn't have to be, she could be one of us. Gajeel wasn't good to me, but I'm pretty sure he's not good to anyone." Lucy explained, awkwardly shifting her weight from foot to foot.

"Wait.. Gajeel?" Erza froze and turned to stare at the man lying on his stomach on Lucy's hammock style cot. "As in the one who hurt Levy, Droy, and Jet?" Erza's eyes sharpened.

"..Yes, **but** -" Lucy began to defend the man who beat her and tortured her friends.

"But, what?" Erza spat. "He didn't mean to? It was an accident that he almost killed some of our crew? What could you possibly say that would justify the atrocities he has committed?"

"Look... He followed orders. I don't know if he liked it, or what, but he was loyal to his captain. He was given orders by a man with a lot of power, and he followed them. I don't know if he is a good man, or even if he's an okay person, but I trust that he won't hurt any of us on this ship if we just give him a place to stay and some space until he's comfortable with dealing with all these people who he tried to kill and vice-versa. He obviously has a strong sense and capacity for loyalty, so let's give him something to be loyal to." Lucy said with unshakable conviction.

Erza huffed and rubbed her temple, "Lucy, I'll tell you what. Juvia can officially join the crew, but Gajeel has to stay in your care until Levy, Droy, and Jet recuperate, and then **they** can decide if Gajeel can join us."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Lucy excitedly embraced Erza.

"Lucy," Erza warned "I'm serious, this is not a game, and he is not a pet. If Gajeel seems just the slightest bit dangerous to you or anyone else, tell me."

"Okay." Lucy nodded solemnly, "I'll give Juvia the rundown and she can decide where she'll get the tattoo. As for Gajeel, I'll babysit him. But can we get another cot in here?"

"Grab one from an empty room." Erza left the room quietly.

"So, you're stuck with me." Gajeel lounged on his stomach, head resting on his crossed arms. As Lucy looked at him, she could see a gleam of deviltry in his eyes.

"So, you were awake." Lucy sniffed condescendingly hovering over Gajeel.

"More or less." He rolled over, one arm behind his head and the other resting on his stomach.

"Whatever, be good, Gajeel. Promise." Lucy asked.

"I guess, I'll be on my best behavior.." Gajeel mumbled as he blew a lock of his raven hair out of his face.

"Okay." Lucy walks over to Juvia, who is still reading in the corner, "Juvia, did you hear what Erza said?"

Juvia looked up from the book immediately, "Of course, she made it very hard for Juvia to focus on this book."

"Okay, good. So welcome to the Fairy Tail crew." Lucy held out a hand to Juvia, who accepted and was pulled to her feet.

"Juvia would like to thank you, Lucy. Juvia is speechless." Juvia's dark blue eyes glimmered as she and Lucy maintained eye contact. Lucy pulled Juvia into a hug, saying nothing.

"So... We're roommates." Gajeel interrupted the heartfelt moment.

Lucy pulled out of the hug, ignoring Gajeel. "Juvia, let's get you your own room, I think the one right next to mine is empty." Lucy winked as she led Juvia into the hall.

After Juvia had claimed her own room, and went up to Erza to figure out her tattoo, Lucy maneuvered the extra cot from Juvia's room into own room for Gajeel. She eventually found herself caught in a stare off with Gajeel.

Lucy felt sweat trail down the back of her neck, Gajeel definitely knew how to get under her skin. Gajeel's gaze was unrelenting. Though, little did she know, Lucy's critical stare was getting to Gajeel as well. The fact that she hadn't buttoned more than a few of the bottom buttons of her shirt made it harder for Gajeel to keep his eyes from wandering. Lucy's skin glowed with a thin sheen of sweat in the lantern light, making her look especially alluring. Gajeel gulped, shifting from his lax position lying on his back to his side to disguise a growing issue of his. Lucy however sat enthroned on her cot, her face blank and unreadable.

"So..." Lucy broke the silence "Truce? Are we cool?"

Gajeel shifted uncomfortably, "Yeah, we'll be stuck together for a while, so truce." He agreed.

"That is one way to think of it." Lucy sighed, standing abruptly. "Just so you know, my friends tend to barge in here often, so there's a good change they'll find you in here." Lucy walked over to the door.

"Alright." There was a shadow of a smile hanging from Gajeel's lips.

"I'm going to go grab food. Maybe I'll be nice and bring you some too." Lucy explained before she left.

So Gajeel found himself completely alone in Lucy Heartfilia's room, and decided to explore.

"I'm back!" Lucy hummed as she trotted into her room with a tray, piled high with food. "Gajeel, what the hell?"

"What?" He grunted as he rummaged through Lucy's trunk of her favorite belongings, where she kept all her sentimental objects.

"Okay, new rule, don't touch my shit." Lucy put the wooden try carefully on the floor and sat in front of it. Keeping a careful eye on Gajeel as he climbed back into his cot. P"There's lentils and bread for supper, and I got some cinnamon stewed peaches, for dessert." Lucy began to eat from the bowl of lentils that she filled for herself.

Gajeel grunted from his cot and reached a lackluster arm towards Lucy and the tray, "Could you pass me some?" He mumbled into his pillow.

"I could." Lucy grinned before wolfing down a chunk of bread. She was eating so quickly and sloppily that Gajeel was almost convinced she hadn't eaten in weeks.

"... Look, will you pass it, or not?" Gajeel barked as he sat up on his cot, propping his pillow up behind his back to sit up easily.

"If you kiss my foot, maybe I'll consider it." Lucy teased as she put her food down to wiggle one of her feet in the air in Gajeel's space.

"Fine." Gajeel leaned over and grabbed Lucy's feet, quickly pecking the top of it, over by her ankle.

"Ugh, that's gross.." Lucy blanched as she stared at Gajeel with disbelief. "I was just joking!"

"I've been told to do worse." Gajeel shrugged and reached out an open hand, "Food. Now." Lucy sighed and handed Gajeel a bowl of lentils with a piece of bread on top.

"What else have you done?" Lucy stared at Gajeel inquisitively.

Gajeel began eating slowly, looking at Lucy with unreadable eyes. "I've killed. I've pillaged. There isn't much I haven't done." He said in a clear, harsh voice. "I'm not sorry for what I've done, it got me where I am today. But I wish I didn't have to do what I did." The candlelight made Gajeel's eyes look as dimensional as rubies.

"We've all..." Lucy paused as she tried to articulate her thoughts, "done things we regret. Some of us come from places we aren't proud of, we mostly don't talk about it, but we all have our pasts and secrets. And that's okay. I forgive you for hurting people."

"Yeah... I guess." Gajeel stared intently at the spoon in his hand, halting his meal to ponder.

"Juvia is here! And Juvia is in Fairy tail!" Juvia announced as she skipped into Lucy's room. Her skin was blotchy and her eyes were watery.

"Whoa, Juvia, what happened? You look terrible." Gajeel teased his friend.

"Juvia was allergic to the ink from the tattoos, now Juvia has a little black dot tattooed to her leg." Juvia lifts her skirt to show off her minuscule tattoo. "So Juvia was given this necklace by captain Erza!" She drops the hem of her skirt and holds up a necklace with the fairy tail pendant.

"Cool, now you're one of us, welcome aboard." Lucy got up to hug her new friend.

"Yes, Juvia is happy, however, the best part is that Juvia met someone!" She squealed as she pulled out of the hug. "Someone beautiful and amazing and single! He is everything Juvia ever wanted!" She clapped her hands gleefully.

"Who? Maybe I can set you two up." Lucy urged Juvia.

"Gray!" Juvia practically screamed his name, "He's perfect! Juvia was so blown away, Juvia couldn't even talk to him!"

"Juv, stop yelling, this room is already small enough." Gajeel complained as he leaned over to place his now empty bowl on the tray and pick up a smaller bowl of spiced peaches.

"Gajeel, please, this is important." Juvia rolled her eyes at her friend before turning back to look at Lucy, "Gray is marvelous! Juvia will need a new wardrobe to seduce him! And a haircut!" She squealed too loud for her companions' liking.

"So I suppose you'd want go shopping on the next stop? We should dock within a few weeks, probably." Lucy chirped, happy for Juvia.

"Yes! Juvia will win his heart! But first, Juvia needs fabric. And a seamstress!" Juvia grabbed at the pouch on her hip and counted her coins.

"Juvia, I can sew you new clothes, but before that, right now all you have are the clothes on your back, you're going to have to borrow some clothes from someone, so you have something to wear when you wash what you're wearing now." Lucy explained, she was very aware of things on her ship, and had seen her crewmates in similar situations.

"Okay, now that that's sorted the fuck out," Gajeel grumbled from under the blanket he had burrowed under in his cot. "Shut up! Please." He grumbled.

"Why are you trying to sleep already, it's not even dark yet." Lucy complained.

"Lucy would be surprised how long Gajeel can sleep for." Juvia mumbled as she rolled her eyes and put a hand on her hip.

"I guess I'm about to find out, Gajeel, lock the door behind us, we'll leave you alone. Erza and I are the only ones with the key to the lock, so if someone comes in, assume it's me and don't attack me, even if you're surprised." Lucy warned Gajeel as she followed Juvia out into the hallway.

"Juvia is excited to be a part of this crew, Phantom Lord was very different." Juvia hummed as she and Lucy strolled down the hall after hearing the click from Lucy's door that affirmed that Gajeel had locked it.

"I noticed that.. So... My father hired you?" Lucy thoughtfully gazed at the ceiling. "What was the reward?"

"Juvia is unsure, but Juvia knows it would have been enough to fill the Phantom Lord ship with molten gold, if we wanted."

"yeah, he has plenty of money. Plenty of gold." Lucy sighed. "All the doorknobs, and keys in his home are pure gold. He commissioned a statue of my mother in a fountain of gold and silver in his private gardens, when he threw parties, the fountain filled with wine. Of course, those parties stopped after my mother passed."

"Juvia is sorry." Juvia put a hand on Lucy's shoulder.

"I'm over it. The past is in the past." Lucy began to climb the stairs to the deck.

"Luce!" Natsu hollered, Happy curled on his shoulders.

"Hey, Natsu, this is Juvia, she joined the crew at the last stop." Lucy waved a hand vaguely towards her blue-haired friend who had already taken a seat on the ship's rail.

"Juvia is pleased to make your acquaintance." Juvia reached out a hand for Natsu to shake. Lucy noticed her monotone voice and blank stare had made a reappearance.

"Nice to meet you? I guess?" Natsu had an adorably puzzled look on his face, obviously somewhat uncomfortable, as he shook Juvia's hand and pointed at Happy, "This is Happy."

"Happy." Juvia nods at the cat.

"Well, bye, Juvia. Later, Luce." Natsu waves as he sprints down the stairs to the underbelly of the ship.

"What was that?" Lucy chided Juvia.

"What was what?" Juvia's brows rose barely a millimeter.

"You got all cold and distant when Natsu got here." Lucy asked curiously.

"Juvia is only friendly to friends. Natsu, and others, will have to earn Juvia's good graces. It is Juvia's rule." Juvia blushed a little as she turned her head back to look at the black water below.

"Alright, I guess that makes sense." Lucy nodded.

"Well, because of Juvia's experiences with Phant-" Juvia began.

"We've got a problem! Erza! Gray! Lucy!" Someone yelled from the crows nest.

"What is it!?" Lucy called up.

"There's another ship approaching slowly, but the flag is unrecognizable!" The lookout stated.

"What's happening?" Erza ran out of her quarters, hair tousled from sleep.

"A ship approaching." Lucy barked as she climbed one of the rope nets to get a better look.

"Should we attack?" Juvia craned her neck in an attempt to see a bit better.

"We'll have to wait and see what they do, but we need to prep the ship for battle just in case." Gray appeared from the stairs.

"Aye!" Lucy jumps to action, causing the rest of the crew to spring to action as well.

"Juvia will need a sword." Juvia put a gentle hand on Gray's shoulder, "Graynis mastergunner, no?"

"Yeah, sure. I can do that for you, Juvia." Gray disappears down the stairs, running to the armory to bring up weapons just in case.

"Juvia!" Natsu scrambled up the steps, Happy hot on his trail. "I'm here to man some of the canons, help me with somethings really quick!"

Juvia looked at the floors apprehensively, "Juvia supposes Juvia can help."

"Good, take this, be careful! It's gunpowder!" Natsu put a large leather pouch into Juvia's arms.

"Yes, Juvia knows how to be on a ship, Juvia needs no instruction."

"Alright, then follow my lead!" Natsu grinned at Juvia before sprinting off to prep the canons.

"Gajeel, I'm back." Lucy trudged into her room in the early morning.

"Mmmmm." He groaned.

"How the hell can you still be asleep? We've been battling some random hostile crew for hours." Lucy walked over to the man as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes lazily.

"I woke up for a little and thought about checking on it, but I'm supposed to me a secret, so I stayed." Gajeel shrugged as he yawned.

Lucy flicked his forehead. "You were right to stay." She took the few critical steps and collapsed into her own cot.

"What the fuck was that for?" Gajeel's eye's gleamed in the dim candlelight.

"Don't worry about it." Lucy huffed. "Wait, brighten the lamp really quick, I need to find something." She sat up quickly, looking at Gajeel with big eyes and an exaggerated pout.

Gajeel grumbled as he stood and made his way to the oil lamp. "It's almost out of oil, like really really low." He said as he began to turn the oil input knob.

"No wait, then we'll run out too quickly, I wanna read!" Lucy exclaimed as Gajeel increased the brightness of the light.

As Lucy finished speaking, the light flickered and died.

"Shit..." Lucy fumed into the dark room.

"Just go to sleep then." Gajeel tried to feel hus way back to his own cot to return to sleep.

"Or I could steal another lamp from one of the holders in the hall, just for tonight." Lucy pondered out loud.

"Ooufgh-" Was all Lucy heard before Gajeel tripped on her cot and landed on her, hard. The two struggled as soon as they made contact and seemed to somehow become completely intertwined with one another, Lucy's fingers became lost in Gajeel's long hair, they both lost track of whose limbs were whose as they struggled to pull apart frantically.

"Okay, okay. Stop, stop, stop." Gajeel finally stopped moving, just a bit too late, both he and Lucy fell to the floor with a loud thud.

"Shit, shit, shit! Move! MOVE!" Lucy whined as she continued to squirm. "You landed on one of my arms, and I hit my knee really hard on the floor!"

Gajeel tried to arch his back to let Lucy free what he hoped was his arm, it snaked out from under him but in doing so he felt the yank of his head.

"Wait, you're pulling my hair." Gajeel growled, teeth clenched.

"I can't see shit, it's pitch black." Lucy shook her hand around, trying to slip her fingers out of Gajeel's tangled locks.

"Me neither, but I'm not yanking your hair."

"I'm not doing it on purpose."

"Just get off me." Gajeel bit back.

"Wow, I hadn't thought of that. Gee thanks." Lucy sarcastically grumbled, she felt the sharp sting in her nose that was always followed by bitter tears.

"Look, little princess, you're starting to get on my nerves, first you want the lights brighter, then you don't, then you're nagging, what the hell do you want from me? I didn't fall over here on purpose you know." Gajeel sounded as thought he could've killed Lucy with a since glare, for that Lucy was grateful for the blindness that the lack of light allowed. She remained silent and still, letting the movement of Gajeel's chest cradle her head, shamelessly letting her tears begin to stain his shirt.

"Well, what the hell do you have to say for your goddamn self and your bullshit?" Gajeel fumed, lost in his own rage until he felt the growing wet spot on his chest, instantly comprehending his situation and his circumstances. He had made someone, who he now considered a comrade, cry. Normally tears had no effect on Gajeel, but for whatever reason, the thought of Lucy weeping because of him made him feel almost... Guilty. He had wanted to argue with her, to bicker harmlessly like usual, but now she was crying and he found himself unsure of what to do.

"Hey, hey." Gajeel seemed to regain his fine motor skills, wrapping his arms around the girl on his chest and rubbing her back the way he remembered hearing Juvia describe to him when she spoke of her own mother. "It's okay, I'm sorry. I'm not really mad, I was just cranky." Gajeel whispered gently into Lucy's ear. She hiccuped softly, sniffing once before guiding one of Gajeel's hands to the crown of her head. Gajeel stroked Lucy's head apprehensively in a way he hoped was comforting, all he wanted was for her to stop crying.

"I'm not crying. The ocean's just coming out of my eyes." Lucy closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths to ground herself.

"Yeah. Okay." Gajeel continued to comfort Lucy.


	7. Chapter 7

"Luce?!"

Gajeel woke with a start, flinching so suddenly that Lucy was awoken by the movement.

"Yes?" Lucy looked up at the doorway groggily.

"What the- what?" Natsu stared down at Lucy and Gajeel, who were still lying on the floor, Lucy in Gajeel's arms, their legs still linked.

Lucy, as if coming out of a trance, looked down at Gajeel, briefly maintaining eye contact before she looked back up at Natsu. "No, Natsu, it's not what it looks like! He-" Lucy began to explain, though Natsu quickly interrupted.

"That's Gajeel! He's bad! He hurt Levy, and Jet, and Droy, and **YOU**." Natsu said accusingly as he glared at Gajeel. "Wait til I tell Erza you stowed away the enemy! You must be out of your mind!"

"Natsu." Lucy used the light from the lamp Natsu held to inspect her legs and free them from Gajeel's. "Listen," Lucy sat up, her bottom placed comfortably just over Gajeel's belly button. "Erza knows he's here. And he's my friend. And we're keeping it secret until Levy, Jet, and Droy are better, then they will make the decision if he can stay."

Natsu stared at Lucy incredulously, "It doesn't look like he's your fucking friend." He huffed like a petulant child, "I still don't like him. I'm mad at you." Natsu scowled at Lucy, he then left, not bothering to close the door. Leaving Lucy staring at the door guiltily and Gajeel staring at Lucy with a small frown.

"I guess your boyfriend is mad at you." Gajeel's eyes looked upset for a flicker of a second, though he tried to push the feeling of jealousy from his mind.

Lucy jumped a bit when he spoke, torn from her own thoughts. His eyes caught on her breasts as their movement drew his attention, the candlelight filtering in from the hallway made them seem especially succulent. _She looked like a scared rabbit._ He thought to himself.

"My.. Boyfriend?" Lucy looked puzzled. "Oh, no, Natsu isn't my boyfriend. We're best friends." She murmured with her eyebrows pulled up in a way that made her look quite pitiful.

"I see." Gajeel tried to suppress the feeling of his heart soaring, so Lucy wasn't dating the hothead? Gajeel's lips tugged into a smirk.

"I wonder what time it is, I'm gonna grab food. Hopefully it's already breakfast time." Lucy stood up slowly and stretched, unaware of Gajeel's hungry eyes eating up the sight of her naked skin, eyes catching on a new scratch on her torso, near her hip.

"You're hurt." He waited for her to finish yawning before she looked down at him, then at her cut.

"Oh, yeah, I was in the battle last night, I had to do some melee combat. It's not serious, I can get Wendy to look at it." Lucy shrugged it off. What she hadn't noticed was that Gajeel was actually worried about her, to his own surprise.

 _What the hell is this about? It's like a damn maiden with a crush on some pretty boy prince._ Gajeel thought to himself, quickly in his imagination he could see Lucy in an expensive princely getup and himself in a ball gown. _Shit, that's bad._ Gajeel's lips were tugged into an even wider smirk. "Okay."

"Anyway, I'm gonna check the kitchen. Don't miss me too much!" Lucy jogged to the door, closing it behind her as she started trotting down the hall.

"Who'd miss you." Gajeel scoffed to himself as he got up and got into Lucy's cot. _I think I like her.. for real.. Shit..._ Gajeel's internal monologue sucked him into an endless vortex.

"I'm back, hope you-" Lucy cheerfully barged back into the room after being gone a short while. "Oh, hey Juvia, what's up?"

"Juvia is determined to read all the books Lucy has, plus the library." Juvia's eyes never leave the page she's on.

"Okay, cool, if you need a pillow or blanket ask me, it can't be comfortable to just be sitting on the floor like that." Lucy noticed Gajeel lying in her cot, so she took a seat in his.

"Juvia is perfectly comfortable. Juvia also replaced the oil in Lucy and Gajeel's lantern, Lucy is welcome."

"Thanks, that's sweet of you."

"Lucy, was there food?" Gajeel butt into to the dialogue.

"Breakfast should be ready in about an hour, so I figured we could just wait." Lucy sank into Gajeel's cot, willing it to swallow her whole. While Lucy did not feel tired, there was a stillness in her mind that prevented her from being motivated to be active but also left her feeling restless.

"Whatever." Gajeel mumbled, seemingly indifferent, into Lucy's pillow.

"Oh." Juvia's dark eyes surveyed the room, then met Gajeel's eyes. She could tell that he felt something for Lucy, somehow, and Gajeel quickly became aware that Juvia had sensed it. He unintentionally gave Juvia a nervous look before sliding his calm-and-collected metaphoric mask back on. "Juvia has to go!" Juvia stood abruptly, smiling discretely. "Juvia will also be borrowing this book. Bye Lucy! Bye Gajeel!"

Gajeel breathed a sigh of relief before saying his own goodbye, he would have to corner Juvia later and get her to agree to keep quiet until Gajeel could get rid of his feelings for Lucy.

"Gajeel, let's play a game or something. I can't sleep anymore. Lucy sighed from Gajeel's bed as he lounged in hers.

"I don't wanna play a game, I wanna get to a town and find a brothel." Gajeel grumbled, he wasn't going to play a game with Lucy and let her get too close to him, plus he had a badass image to uphold, he had to assert himself as an asshole sometime.

 _Before Gajeel could really take notice, Lucy was crouched down next to her own cot, eyes only inches from his. "Why go to a brothel when everything you need is right here?" Lucy whispered in a dangerous, low voice, slipping onto the cot and onto Gajeel, much like their position the night before, but now it was more precise and less comforting, more intimate._

 _"Lucy?" Gajeel was frozen in place, stunned._

 _"Yeah?" She groaned as she began to grind her body against Gajeel's sensually._

 _"Listen... We can't.. I can't...-" Gajeel bit the words out past clenched teeth, he was finding it near impossible to resist temptation._

 _"You can't what?" Lucy whispered in his ear, nipping his ear lobe, like he had to her in the Phantom Lord ship._

 _"Oh... Fuck it-" Gajeel reached up to get a hold on Lucy_ , only to grab thin air. "Uh?"

"Hey, Gajeel, morning." Lucy chirped from his cot.

"What happened?" He sat up and made eye contact with Lucy, who was still lying on his cot.

"Well, I guess you were having a dream. You fell asleep pretty quickly earlier." Lucy smiled at Gajeel briefly before looking back down at the book she was scribbling in.

"I didn't say anything, did I?" Gajeel kept a casual face, but he was internally panicked, if Lucy heard, she would know, but then what? Gajeel could have bring himself to think beyond then, there were too many factors, too many possibilities.

"You made some sounds, groans and such." Lucy kept writing in the thick book she held up in front of her face.

"Oh." Gajeel suppressed an annoyed groan _, Today is not my day.._. Well more like this week is not my week... He thought.

"Gajeel, were you serious about what you said?" Lucy looked at her companion seriously.

"What did I say?" Gajeel shrugged.

"About the brothel, because this ship has its own goings ons, and plenty of the crew would be happy to... Help you out." Lucy said thoughtfully.

Gajeel's heart sped up, he was sure he liked where this conversation was going. "Well," he began.

"-Because I'm pretty sure Gray's single." Lucy teased before falling into a fit of giggles.

"Great." Gajeel sarcastically grumbled, annoyed and exasperated that the conversation didn't go where he had hoped. "So, about Natsu.." He began.

"Natsu! I completely forgot... He's mad at me.." Lucy whined.

"That's not your problem." Gajeel rolled out of the cot and strectched. "I'm hungry, go get food."

"But, I'm not hungry, I'm sad." Lucy whined. "Whenever Natsu's mad at me, he goes out of his way to ignore me, sometimes he makes sure there's no hot water for me to wash up every now and then."

"Well, I guess I can just go out myself and get some food." Gajeel began to walk to the door.

"Nope, that's not allowed." Lucy pulled her blanket over her head.

"Listen," Gajeel turned to look at Lucy, entertained to find her hiding under blankets in his cot. He crept up closer and crouched by her head, whispering " **Lucy**!" And just as he predicted, she flinched and seemed to become somewhat airborne. "Damn, you're like a scared little rabbit." Gajeel chuckled as Lucy fumbled with the blankets as she pulled them back over herself.

"No, **you're** like a damn bully. I'm no bunny, I'm dangerous!" Lucy huffed, crossing her arms defiantly.

"Dangerously skittish." Gajeel scoffed. "You're a bunny girl!" He teased.

"Damn you." Lucy halfheartedly seethed from under her blanket.

"Up we go," Gajeel lifted the blanket. "Out you go." He lifted Lucy out of bed and dropped her onto her feet. "Now get me some food." Gajeel gave Lucy a little push towards the door.

"I'm not a baby, you can't push me and make me do what you want." Lucy pouts jokingly as she walks to the door. "I'm gonna spit in your food." Lucy grins impishly.

"Do I look like I care?" Gajeel rolled his eyes and watched Lucy close the door as she left.

He was losing his tough exterior around her, as much as he didn't want to acknowledge it, she was growing on him. Like a deadly parasite, softening him up so she could devpur his insides. Gajeel found it so strange that Lucy was infamous for being fearless, brutal, and volatile, was also a sweet, funny, but still somehow badass teenager. _Speaking of teenagers, how old is Lucy? Did her dad ever mention her age?_ Gajeel pondered. _If she was gone for 6 years, how old was she when she left? So I'm about 22 years old. What if she's actually 14, that's not unusual these days, teenage girls marrying or sleeping with grown men, but I'm not into kids_. Gajeel continued to theorize. _She looks young, but grown up. So maybe she's 19? 20?_

Gajeel went to open the trunk off to the side of the room. Hopefully he'd find something of Lucy's that might indicate her age, perhaps a birth spoon or some other commemorative birth trinket, the type that only rich people commission. Gajeel dug through the box of Lucy's belongings. He found ribbons and worn children's dresses, books filled with pages of scribbles and drawings, and pages ripped from poetry books that Gajeel was sure she'd stolen. Lucy had stored away lost teeth and jars filled with clipped hairs, a shard of an old mirror, and keys, countless keys, all pooled up on the bottom of the trunk. Gajeel could only speculate as to what they opened. He looked at the door cautiously before pocketing one of the many small jars with a few locks of Lucy's blonde hair. Gajeel found a small baby shoe in the trunk, hidden in the clutter. Just a lone shoe, it was more of a slipper since it was constructed of a soft, thin material. Gajeel inspected the baby shoe carefully.

"I'm back!" Lucy sang as she brought in a new tray of food. "Oh, I forgot to take back the dishes and yesterday's tray." Gajeel dropped the slipper in surprise, turning to Lucy in record time.

"Haha, who's afraid now? Maybe you're the bunny." Lucy teased Gajeel. Her eyes caught on his hands, still in her trunk. "Gajeel.." Lucy's face was one of upset and guilt. Neither of them said a thing. "Gajeel, those are my things."

"Lucy.." Gajeel looked back at her and they stared at eachother each with a guilty face.

"I told you not to touch my things... Even I don't touch my things... I put my memories away to forget about it, Gajeel. I don't want to think about them, and I don't want you to touch them. Get back. Eat." Lucy set down the tray and slammed the trunk closed, before staring at it for a moment, reopening it to rummage and pull out a key. After locking the trunk, she put the key on the string around her neck with the room key. Lucy looked back to see Gajeel slowly eating, as if eating too quickly would get him in trouble.

"You can eat my breakfast, I'm not hungry." Lucy got up and left the room, emotionlessly and monotonously.

"Shit..." Gajeel stared at the door. Upset that his childish curiousity and stupid crush may have crossed a line, creating a boundary that Lucy wouldn't let him return from. Sure, he had beaten her to a pulp, but even then she had forgiven him, he had acted on orders. This time, his actions were his own and this seemed to have bothered Lucy more than her beating. "I fucked up." Gajeel mumbled as he moved on to Lucy's portion of food, eating quickly and anxiously.

Lucy sat on the deck, staring up at the brightening sky, the sun was climbing to it's peak and a few birds flew and squawked obnoxiously.

"Rough night?" Lucy jumped at the voice, having believed she was the only one up on the deck this early. She turned and looked up to find Laxus smirking down at her.

"I suppose so." Lucy blandly replied as she looked back up at the sky from her place seated on the floor of the ship's deck. She was tired and hungry, and she was upset. She told Gajeel not to touch her things first and foremost, but he searched through it anyway, and found her memories. He hadn't known the stories of the things he found but they were Lucy's and he had no right. "Just... Man troubles I guess." The brightening blue sky hurt Lucy's eyes but she refused to look away.

"Oh, you were thinking about me?" Laxus joked, condescending air still about him.

"Laxus, I'm serious. I'm upset, if you're here to be a dick, get lost." Lucy turned to glare at Laxus, lips pulled back in a quiet snarl.

"Okay, okay." Laxus grumbled, Lucy thought he would leave her alone, but he actually took a seat, legs crossed, next to her and looked up at the sky. "What's wrong?" He sighed, obviously uncomfortable with the idea of having a genuine conversation with Lucy.

"Laxus. This is sweet of you and all, but I think we both know you don't give a damn about me and my problems." Lucy kept her eyes trained on the wooden boards of the deck's floor.

"Sure I do, I'm still here, aren't I?" Laxus placed a tentative hand on Lucy's back, patting her awkwardly before dropping his hand back behind him to lean back and put his weight on it.

"Whatever.." Lucy hid a quiet smile behind her hand. Laxus was an asshole, but he was a charming asshole.

"So, what's going on? Lay it on me." Laxus elbowed Lucy gently.

"Just..." Lucy tried to articulate her struggle without giving too much away. "Someone, who I'm not naming, keeps going through my things. It's infuriating. It's like, I have no privacy, I've got a vermin digging through my stuff."

"Yeah, I see how that blows." Laxus nods understandingly, seeming more mature than Lucy'd ever seen him.

"Yeah..." Lucy began to get up. "Thanks, Laxus. I just realized I've been all up in my own head and haven't visited Levy in a while. Thanks for listening."

"Later." Laxus watched Lucy speed down the stairs.

"Lucy!" Levy clapped her hands excitedly when she saw her friend enter her room. "I'm okay, I'm okay!" Levy grinned at her friend.

"I'm happy to hear that Lev, I was worried to death!" Lucy hugged her friend.

"And I'm glad you're alright too, albeit with a few bruises." Levy inspected Lucy's fading facial bruise. "Who did you in?"

"Gajeel." Lucy said as she carefully watched Levy's reaction. Levy nods at the name.

"Yeah, he seemed pretty... Volatile." Levy said, she didn't seem angry or upset.

"I think he was just following orders enthusiastically..." Lucy mumbled. "What did you think of him?"

Levy furrowed her brows, "Well, I pity him. His life with that crew sounds pretty bad, because that crew is pretty bad."

"I'm glad you think so, because I wanted to give him a chance." Lucy smiles apprehensively.

"Huh?" Levy wasn't following.

"I brought him onto the ship, he's quarantined in my room for now until Jet, Droy, and you decide if he can stay or if we drop him off." Lucy dropped the bomb, speaking rapidly and anxiously, gesturing to Levy when she finished speaking as if to say 'tadaa!'

"Oh..." Levy's eyes widened. She stared at the wall behind Lucy. "Can I see him first?" She murmured.

"Of course!" Lucy guiltily nodded. "No pressure, if he can't stay, we can just drop him off and he'll figure out his life on his own." Lucy put a tentative hand on Levy's shoulder. She hadn't wanted her friend to be uncomfortable or upset by Gajeel's presence, she just didn't want to abandon him on that metaphorically sinking ship.

"I'm sorry, Levy. I didn't think this would affect you this way." Lucy sat on the edge of Levy's bed.

"Lu... It's not okay, I mean I forgive you, you are so important to me, it's impossible for me not to, which upsets me. But I need to see him again to make sure he wouldn't hurt you, or me, or anyone on our ship." Levy leaned forward to rest her forehead on Lucy's shoulder. "Can I be alone now?" She whispered.

Lucy pat Levy's head gently, got up silently and left the room without a word. Lucy begrudgingly strolled to her room, not quite really to face Gajeel again.

Lucy returned to an empty room, the four dirty food trays were gone as well. She stared at her cot, worn out and tired despite the day that was just starting. Gajeel wasn't supposed to leave her room, but Lucy was too emotionally drained to investigate.

The door creaked open at about noon, Lucy looked up to see Juvia peering at Lucy. "Hello." She slipped into Lucy's room, closing the door behind her. "Juvia is here to tell Lucy that Gajeel is hiding in Juvia's room. Juvia was okay with this until now. Juvia needs to have a sponge bath and change into clean clothes."

"Okay, send him over." Lucy nods, looking up from a small journal.

"Juvia has tried, but Gajeel really doesn't want to come here. Lucy needs to come get him. Gajeel cannot stay with Juvia, Juvia needs space." Juvia sighed. "Also, Juvia is going to need some clothes, if Lucy wouldn't mind..."

"Fine." Lucy grumbled, getting up, throwing her journal onto her cot, trudging to one of her many trunks around her room and opened it for Juvia to see a variety of expensive looking dresses and fabrics, blouses and skirts, and only Lucy knew what else. "Pick whatever you like, these are clothes we've looted. My guys always pick me up pretty things they see, the way a cat brings dead mice as gifts. It's cute but also unnecessary." Lucy rubbed her temples as Juvia nodded and descended upon the beautiful garments.

Eventually Juvia chose a black silk underdress, which was more like a night slip, and a high quality, blue wool coat lined with brown fur that she kept closed over the black slip. "You look great, Juvia. Alright, time for me to pick up Gajeel." Lucy sighed. Juvia nodded and picked up the bundled of clothes she had worn when she entered the room.

"Alright," Lucy strode into Juvia's room with a purpose. "Come on, Gajeel. Let's go." He jumped, looking up from the book he was reading in the far corner of Juvia's room.

"Oh, Bunnygirl, I think I'll stay here. But thanks." He played nonchalant despite the nervous sweat beginning to build up on his face.

"Gajeel." Lucy looked furious. "Get up. Get out. Get into my room. And **then** we will talk about this. Juvia needs her privacy." The tension was palpable.

"Okay, okay." He muttered, closing the book and putting it down before doing as told.

"Why are you so difficult?" Lucy hissed as she followed Gajeel into their room. "Okay, okay. Scratch that, let me try again.. What was that?" She stared Gajeel down. He took a seat on the floor, ready to face the repercussions.

"I just... Didn't want to see you because I knew you'd do this." He stared at the floor, feeling in the wrong, but too stubborn to admit it.

"I'm only doing **this** because you disappeared, don't be a pain in the ass, Gajeel. You better home Levy takes mercy on you. You need to figure out an apology before I reach over, wrap my fingers around your balls, twist, and pull. Then maybe I'll put those in my trunk." She finished with a sarcastic huff.

"Lucy," Gajeel stood calmly, sweat still glistening on his forehead. "I'm sorry for being nosy and I'm sorry for being immature. I went through your things on a whim because I was curious, and that was wrong. I went to hide in Juvia's room because i was too prideful to figure out how to apologize. So I'm sorry." Gajeel oozed sincerity. "If you mention any of this to anyone, I will deny it though." He tentatively smiled at Lucy, who couldn't help but smile back.

"Okay, apology accepted." Lucy reached out a hand to Gajeel, who apprehensively accepted it before being pulled into a hug to his surprise. "Okay. Now I trust you for sure." Lucy's voice barely reached Gajeel's ears since she seemed to whisper into his hair. He blushed bright red and hugged Lucy back, in an attempt to hide his face from Lucy.


	8. Chapter 8

"-And another thing!" Natsu barged into Lucy's room again just before dinner. He found Lucy and Gajeel sitting across from each other, each with a piece of paper fastened to their foreheads by fabric tied around their heads. "What is happening?" Natsu's anger dissipated as he curiously noted that different things were written on each paper.

"It's a game." Lucy rolled her eyes and looked back at Gajeel, who was deep in thought.

"Am i an animal?" Gajeel suddenly asked.

"Well... Sort of. Technically." Lucy answered.

"Can I play?" Natsu walked into the room and closed the door behind him.

"I thought you were mad at me.." Lucy mumbled as she tapped her finger on her knee. "Am I a place or thing?" She asked Gajeel.

"I was mad earlier, but now I'm okay. Let me play." Natsu whined, taking a seat on Lucy's cot.

"Thing." Gajeel said distractedly. "Am I a rabbit?" He asked.

"You can play next round, Natsu." Lucy sighed, "And Gajeel, no."

"Shit. A whale?" He tried again.

"Hey, it's not your turn." Lucy slapped Gajeel's leg lightly. "Am I a noun thing or a verb thing?"

"Fine, you're a verb thing." Gajeel rolled his eyes. "Whale?"

"Not a whale." Lucy shook her head. "But you are getting closer. Am I running?"

"Nope." Gajeel grinned. "Am I a shark?"

"No." Lucy hummed. "Am I a violent action?"

"Yes. Am I a fish?"

"No. Am i punching?"

"No, but you're getting warmer." Gajeel replied.

"Hurry up." Natsu whined.

"If you're bored, then leave, no one invited you." Gajeel huffed.

"Shut up." Natsu muttered into Lucy's pillow, sinking farther into her cot.

"Am I a mammal?" Gajeel asked Lucy.

"Sort of yes, sort of no." Lucy furrowed her brows.

"What do you mean? Am I a platypus?" He exasperatedly asked.

"No. Am i kicking?"

"No, but you're close. Ok, do I have fur or scales?" Gajeel pondered.

"You have hair and scales."

"Hair, not fur?"

"Yup." Lucy closed her eyes and rubbed her temples as if that would help her find the answer. "Am... I... Asskicking?"

"You cheated!" Gajeel yelled.

"Nu-uh! How would I, the word is still on my head." Lucy pointed a finger at Gajeel. "I win, fair and square." She pulled the paper off her face, looking at it to find "asskicking" scrawled in Gajeel's scratchy handwriting.

"What. This is the hardest one ever." Gajeel complained as he pulled "mermaid" off his forehead.

"Okay, Natsu, come here. We'll start the next round." Lucy called to him.

"Okay!" He sprang from her cot and sat on the floor near Lucy and Gajeel.

"Lucy! Gajeel! Dinner ended hours ago!" Juvia barged into the room, only to find Gajeel, Lucy, and Natsu with papers tied to their heads, sitting facing eachother with intense glares on their faces.

"Hey, Juvia." Lucy grinned at her friend before turning back to Natsu. "Am I edible?" She asked.

Natsu shook his head, grinning. "It depends how hard you try... Not really though. Alright, am I trustworthy?" He cocked his head.

"No"

"Noo.."

Lucy and Gajeel replied at the same time in two different exasperated tones. Watching carefully and quietly, Juvia took a seat between Gajeel and Lucy.

"Am I sharp?" He put his chin in the palm of his hand as he leaned forward, worn out.

"Generally, No." Natsu scratched the back of his head.

"Well..." Lucy furrowed her brow. "Actually, no, I agree with Natsu. Wait! Am I human?!" Lucy felt as thought a metaphorical light ulb had gone off above her head.

"Yep." Gajeel hummed.

"Okay, am I dangerous?" Natsu stared at Juvia, she was kind of creeping him out, before looking back at Gajeel and Lucy.

"Yes!" Lucy nodded profusely.

"Am I a spoon?" Gajeel huffed.

"No." Natsu and Lucy mumble at the same time.

"Okay, I give up, I'll never figure it out." Gajeel pulled the paper from his forehead. "What the hell? How would anyone ever figure out "elbow"?" Gajeel pouts.

"The same way they find out they're "asskicking"." Lucy laughs lightheartedly.

"Am I a weapon?" Natsu says, feeling hopeful now that the competition had lessened.

"Yes." Lucy giggled. "Am I someone we know?"

"Yes. Am I a sword?"

"Nope! Do I have dark hair?"

"Yes.. Am I a knife?"

"No. Am I Gray?"

"No. Am I a gun?"

Lucy huffed like a petulant child. "Yes." She yanked at her own paper. It read "Cana". "Damn it, I should have asked if I was a drunk." She crossed her arms, turning to Juvia.

"Hello, Lucy." Juvia's words seem to vibrate.

"Hey, are you alright?" Lucy's play-upset dissipated due to her concern for her companion.

"Juvia was worried when Lucy and Gajeel did not come to dinner, but Gajeel and Lucy were only here, playing a game that Juvia thinks seems entertaining." Juvia confessed. "Juvia got a little wound up. She has a lot of energy right now."

"Okay, let's go do something then." Lucy grabbed Juvia's hand and pulled her to her feet. "I'm gonna show Juvia the baths." Lucy called to Gajeel and Natsu who sat, still seated on Lucy's floor.

"Bye!" Natsu called just before the door closed behind them. "What now?" He asked Gajeel.

"I'm going to bed." Gajee grunted as he disappeared into the blankets on his cot.

"Boo. You're boring." Natsu teased. "Let's go through Lucy's stuff!" He opened a box full of what appeared to be Lucy's old leather bound journals.

"No, let's not." Gajeel rolled over.

"Or- we could go peep into the girls' baths." Natsu grinned wolfishly as Gajeel turned to look back at him.

Lucy and Juvia finally reached the second to last floor of the ship, where the bathing chambers were. The both bathing chambers were just large rooms with several large wooden crates, waterproofed on the inside so they could hold water. Roughly four grown men could fit comfortably in each crate, one sitting in each corner taking up some leg room, because of this, Lucy and Juvia had no trouble sharing one crate of lukewarm water between the two of them.

"It's colder than I like it," Lucy pulled a hand from the water. "I'm going to heat some back up, is that okay?"

"Yes, Juvia doesn't mind." Juvia had already began taking off her clothes and putting them on a shelf by a nearby wall.

Lucy walked to a stove with supportive rails and grabbed a large cauldron from beside it, carrying it to the water that Juvia already made herself cozy in. As she filled the heavy vessel, dipping it into the cool water, Lucy explained "We never fill these to the rim, because the motion of the ship makes that dangerous. Just in case you didn't need to know that on your other ship."

"Juvia was aware, but she thanks Lucy, regardless." Juvia smiles up from her bath.

Lucy nods and smiles at her friend, lugging the large, almost full cauldron to the stove.

"You know... I used to have servants who did these things for me." Lucy absentmindedly said to Juvia, as she tinkered with the stove, trying to start a flame.

"Yes, Juvia can imagine. Juvia never had the privilege. She was raised in an orphanage, which had adequate funding, but perhaps not enough for servants for menial work. The children did such tasks." Juvia watched the water run through her fingers as she played in the water.

"I should have just gone to an orphanage.. Maybe we would've been friends, if I chose an orphanage far from where I once lived. If we had luck on our side in the past, we could've been like sisters by now." Lucy laughed to herself wistfully.

"There is always the future." Juvia sighs, looking up to meet Lucy's tired eyes.

"Yeah, you're right." Lucy laughs off her thoughts, stepping back to admire her handiwork, she'd finally started the stovetop. With a bit of effort, Lucy managed to haul the cauldron onto the stoves rails, un fastening the hook that dangled from the the ceiling from it's safe spot tied to the wall and secured it to the cauldron as a safety measure. "The hardest part is getting the boiling hot cauldron to the tub after heating it." Lucy rubbed her temples as she chuckled.

"Juvia thinks Lucy might be able to use the bucket in the corner to ferry the hot water, little by little." Juvia pointed to a metal pail in the corner beside the stove.

"Smart thinking, Juvia!" Lucy smiled gratefully. "I'll probably do that, I've burned myself too many times trying to bring the whole cauldron to the tubs."

"Lucy is very welcome. And Juvia is happy to be of use." Juvia was now floating in the middle of the tub, looking to the side so she could watch her own hair sway underwater.

Soon enough the tub Juvia sat in was fairly warm, but not quite hot, and Lucy was out of water from the cauldron to transport.

"Okay, I'm done." Lucy breathed a weary sigh of relief.

"Juvia knew you could do it!" Juvia cheered monotonously from her tub.

"Howdy, gals!" Cana strode into the baths, followed by Mira and Erza.

"Hey." Lucy called, not looking to see who was speaking as she stripped all her clothes off in record time. "You guys need to boil your own water if you want warm baths, no one else gets in my tub, got it?" Lucy turned to find Cana, Erza, and Mira climbing into Lucy and Juvia's tub. They'd somehow managed to completely strip and silently enter the bath as Lucy had been speaking.

"What'd you say, Lucy?" Mira smiled politely, as if daring Lucy to repeat herself.

"You know what..." Lucy sighed exasperatedly. "You guys suck." She walked up to the tub. "Scoot aside or I'm sitting in someone's naked lap." Lucy stepped into the tub between Juvia and Cana, both girls moved over enough for Lucy to take a seat.

"Good morning everyone." Erza braided her own hair and used a ribbon to keep the long braid in a bun on too of her head.

"Oh, it's so late already?" Mira gasped.

"Yep. Apparently." Cana leaned back, stretching her arms out on the rim of the tub and leaving them there lax.

"Cana, quit making the moves on me." Lucy huffed as she elbowed her crewmate. "Stay in your own bubble or heat your own bath."

"Lucy, don't fight it!" Cana teased, puckering her lips as she leaned in toward Lucy. She was swiftly kneed in the chin. "Shit, man. What was that?! I bit my tongue!" She squealed, covering her mouth with both hands, laughing.

"Oh, I'm sorry Cana." Lucy pat her friend's back. "I'll just let you kiss me next time. Not." Lucy laughed. "Stay away from these lips, they aren't cheap." Lucy grinned, enjoying the good company.

"How much?" Cana hiccuped. "My wife doesn't have to know. And your husband will never find out." She joked.

"My, my, sir." Lucy played the part of the bashful housewife well. "I don't know, I haven't got much time to be trolloping about with men as peculiar as yourself."

"You two are such goofs. I swear, we can't even put you two together without you acting out some sort of role play scenario." Erza chuckled as she shook her head, despite her somewhat harsh words she loved this about her companions.

"I haven't a clue what you mean!" Lucy hid a prim smile behind a delicately poised hand becore a snort gave way to a laughing fit.

"Grow up, honestly." Mira chuckled as she berated them halfheartedly.

"You want a kiss too? For you, it's free!" Lucy lunged at Mira, who dodges at the last second. "No fair, Mira. I know you love meee!" Lucy taunts, smiling jovially.

"Get back on your side, silly girl." Mira swats at Lucy's arm, but Lucy was too fast and retreats back to her seat once more.

Little did the bathing women know, Natsu and Gajeel looked on from a few strategically placed holes in the walls, though admittedly, Gajeel wasn't enjoying himself as muh as he would've hoped. He'd already seen Lucy half naked, with her consent, and the other women didn't compare in his opinion.

"Hey, Natsu." Gajeel said in a low voice. "This is creepy as fuck. Let's go."

"What? No! The best part hasn't even happened yet." Natsu whispered back.

"Natsu, this is beyond perverted, this is just gross.." Gajeel sneered at his new acquaintance.

"No, dumbass, we're not spying because they're naked. The girls always gossip and tell secrets when they bathe together. We are here to listen." Natsu explained as if it was the most obvious thing he'd ever said.

"You know, ya could've made that clear." Gajee hissed as he sat down, no longer staring through the hole, but he kept listening. After what felt like eons, when Gajeel was about ready to call it quits and head back to his room, which he realized he left unlocked since Lucy never issued him a key, when the real talk started.

"So Mira, any thoughts about getting back with Laxus?" Cana's mirth was easy to hear.

"Hah, as if. Besides, it's been years, and he's got a huge sexual appetite, and I believe in monogamy. It'd never work between us now. And you Lucy? Have you confessed to Natsu that you two were meant to be together forever?" Mira inspected her cuticles.

Gajeel looked over at Natsu, who sat calmly listening to the girls talk. Gajeel felt jealousy steel his gut. Lucy liking Natsu? They said they were just friends.. Gajeel thought as he scowled at Natsu.

"Listen, Mira. I've been telling you for years, Natsu is just my friend. Like my brother, but dumber." Lucy enunciated slowly. Gajeel lookedback over to find Natsu with a small smile on his face, which put Gajeel's fears to rest. If he's so happy to be her friend, then they must just be friends.

"Juvia thinks Lucy likes Gajeel!" Juvia, for lack of a better phrase, word-vomits. Spontaneously joining the conversation.

"Ah, yes, our secret stowaeway!" Mira clapped her hands excitedly. "You two would have the most beautiful babies!"

"Mira..." Lucy groaned.

"No, no, I think Mira's onto something here." Cana fed the fire in Mira's eyes. "Lucy, with your eyes and his hair, your children would be the most beautiful pirates to sail the seas. It's, like, math, or something!"

"No, Cana, that's not math at all. That's an opinion. A stupid one." Lucy huffed, blushing just a bit. Not that either man on the other side of the wall could see this though, they both sat comfortably, backs to the wall as they listened to the women talk. Gajeel was enjoying the fact that he had supporters, well at least people who would support him being with Lucy, though he would never admit it.

"How was Gajeel on your last ship, Juvia? In his lifestyle, or personal affairs, not ship duties and such." Erza quipped.

"Gajeel wasn't popular socially. Not many friends, however Gajeel had many allies, Juvia was one. Gajeel was known for his promiscuity, perhaps like this Laxus that Mira spoke of, Juvia has not yet met Laxus." Juvia had a finger on her chin as she recalled. Gajeel silently rued her from the other room, mentioning Gajeel's past sex life was not going to get him any brownie points with Lucy, or at least he assumed so.

"Anyway," Lucy made an obvious attempt to redirect the conversation. "Juvia, what about Gray?"

"Juvia's sweet Gray." Juvia bubbles. "What's Gray's last name?"

"Fullbuster." Erza watched, clearly entertained by Juvia's lovesick demeanor.

"One day, Juvia will become Juvia Fullbuster! Or perhaps Gray would not mind becoming Gray Lockser.." She trailed off, getting lost in her own thoughts.

"Well, i call it quits. Night, or morning, girls. See you later." Lucy rose from the tub, grabbing a towel from a nearby shelf. "Don't fall asleep in here!" She teased as she pulled on her pants and picked up her boots and shirt, not bothering to put them back on.

"Fuck you!" Cana called as the door shut. Lucy laughed to herself, her friends were quite a handful.


End file.
